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… - Fethullah Gülen

Those who know me and the movement closely know that Erdogan has never been my student. We have fundamental differences of opinion in many areas, especially the use of religion in politics.

Over the past year, I have been devastated that the government has linked tens of thousands of citizens to me or the Hizmet movement in some way, and then punished this attributed contact as if it were a crime. The accusations made against me regarding the coup attempt are unfounded and a politically motivated slander. The government's treatment of its innocent citizens for a year drags Turkey into the category of the world's most backward countries in terms of democracy, rule of law and fundamental freedoms. I reiterate my call, made immediately following July 15, for the establishment of an independent international commission of inquiry to fully examine the incident and bring the perpetrators of the coup to justice, and if such a commission finds me guilty, I stand behind my promise to return to the country of my own accord.

However, it is not right to associate members of various Islamic movements in different countries around the world, who sincerely serve the religion without engaging in any form of violence, with terrorism in a wholesale approach. Otherwise, injustice would be done to those who are against terrorism, and therefore some people would be pushed into the arms of radical movements through such an unfair and unlawful practice.