Fethullah Gülen Quotes

Turkey’s rulers have not only alienated the West, they are also now losing credibility in the Middle East. Turkey’s ability to assert positive influence in the region depends not only on its economy but also on the health of its own democracy.

Disasters and calamities remind us not only to take all kinds of precautions within the framework of the reasons, but also to help each other in a spirit of unity, to lend a hand to those in need, and to pray to God Almighty to protect our country and all humanity from all kinds of disasters.

Our obligation to help and support those in need also takes on added meaning this year as our neighbors and communities face sickness, grief, economic hardship and the loneliness of self-isolation.

Egypt has an exceptional place in the Islamic world. This geography, which has been the cradle of civilizations in history, has also raised important people in Islamic history and hosted centers of science. Egypt maintains its special position and importance for the future of the Middle East. Egypt's internal peace and stability are of critical importance for this geography.

Like many Turkish citizens, the Hizmet movement’s participants supported Mr. Erdogan’s early efforts to democratize Turkey and fulfill the requirements for membership in the European Union. But we were not silent as he turned from democracy to despotism. Even before these new purges, Mr. Erdogan in recent years has arbitrarily closed newspapers; removed thousands of judges, prosecutors, police officers and civil servants from their positions; and taken especially harsh measures against Kurdish communities. He has declared his detractors enemies of the state.

The world should be assured that, although there may always be some who exploit any religion for their interests, Islam does not approve of terrorism in any form. Terrorism cannot be used to achieve any Islamic goal. No terrorist can be a Muslim, and no true Muslim can be a terrorist. Islam orders peace, and the Qur’an demands from each true Muslim that he or she be a symbol of peace and support the maintenance of basic human rights. If a ship is carrying nine criminals and one innocent person, Islam does not allow the ship to be sunk to punish the nine criminals, for doing so would violate the innocent person’s rights.

They try to portray us as a pro-Israeli movement, in the sense that we have a higher regard for them than our nation. We are accepting them as a people, as part of the people of the world.

The rhetoric used by the ruling party repeatedly to crack down on Hizmet participants is nothing but a pretext to justify their own authoritarianism. Hizmet participants have never formed a political party nor have they pursued political ambitions. Their participation in the movement is driven by intrinsic rewards, not extrinsic ones.

Like all segments of Turkish society, Hizmet participants have a presence in government organizations and in the private sector. These citizens cannot be denied their constitutional rights or be subjected to discrimination for their sympathy to Hizmet’s ideals, as long as they abide by the laws of the country, the rules of their institutions and basic ethical principles. Profiling any segment of society and viewing them as a threat is a sign of intolerance.

Erdogan’s persecution of his people is not simply a domestic matter. The ongoing pursuit of civil society, journalists, academics and Kurds in Turkey is threatening the long-term stability of the country. The Turkish population already is strongly polarized on the AKP regime. A Turkey under a dictatorial regime, providing haven to violent radicals and pushing its Kurdish citizens into desperation, would be a nightmare for Middle East security.

Turkey's salvation lies in the deepening of democratic culture and the internalization of a merit-based state administration. Neither a military coup nor an autocratic civilian administration is the solution.

However, all these oppressions led to something they had never considered. The world got to know the service much better. He saw that we were not in the same line with those who used Islam for politics, and a curiosity and sometimes favor arose. Although this has a heavy price, it is a blessing from God Almighty.

Instead of explaining why they could not convince world leaders about the accusations they made against me, the government deceives citizens with conspiracy theories through the media they have turned into propaganda tools. Unfortunately, the Turkish people, who cannot hear the different arguments about this terrible event, are mobilized en masse around hate messages. Until now, few people have realized how similar the scapegoating of Hizmet volunteers was to the scapegoating of certain groups by fascist and communist totalitarian regimes in the 20th century.

Turkish voters can of course change their stance. However, elections are not held fairly at the moment. The media is under tutelage, the judiciary is under tutelage, the capital is under tutelage. Under these conditions, it is very difficult to accurately determine what Turkish voters really think.

During the attempted military coup in Turkey this month, I condemned it in the strongest terms. “Government should be won through a process of free and fair elections, not force,” I said. “I pray to God for Turkey, for Turkish citizens, and for all those currently in Turkey that this situation is resolved peacefully and quickly.”