Defamation within Defamation and the Referendum Process

A serious wave of Islamophobia has been rising in recent years, particularly in the US and Europe since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. We Turks, as a Muslim nation, are getting our share of this dangerous global wave and being affected by it quite adversely.

As if that is not enough, an interesting wave of Turcophobia seems to have started recently as Turkey has improved itself and become more active in the regional and international arena, thereby beginning to compete with other international players.

Particularly after what befell the Gaza-bound aid flotilla, the Israeli lobby has mobilized a full-fledged defamation campaign against Turks. One of the latest and most irritating examples of this campaign could be seen in Claire Berlinski's article published in Foreign Policy and World Affairs Journal, which is dripping with primitive racism. Not only do we get our share of Islamophobia, but there is also a campaign of racism and discrimination that commonly uses such strange terms as "Turkish extremism" and which even goes too far as to assert, "Turks continuously tell lies, but they are not even aware that they are telling lies."

Added to all this is the fact that if you feel special sympathy toward a social group in Turkey, you may easily find yourself the target of hatred and animosity interwoven with lies, smears, black propaganda and defamation geared specifically against that group and be forced to cope with it. It is now inevitable to note that Gülenophobia has recently come into existence in addition to other horrible forms of discrimination and racism that do not fit humanity's current level of civilization, such as Islamophobia and Turcophobia.

We see that some extremely powerful groups abroad, including in particular the circles that are close to the Israeli lobby and some neocon remnants who have close relations with the pro-status quo Kemalist and militarist elites in Turkey, are obsessively targeting the Turkey-centered voluntary civil society movement of Fethullah Gülen, the sole purpose of which is to share messages of peace, love, dialogue and tolerance with the world. These circles would, in the past, mobilize the media and press organs and think tanks they own or control only for Islamophobia, and later for Turchophobia, but now they are also injecting Gülenophobia into the international agenda. Using all means available to them, they have launched an intense efforts to defame and discredit the Gülen movement in the international arena. In light of the foregoing, it would not be an overstatement to assert that the supporters of the Gülen movement are being directly targeted by a ruthless, intricately intermingled, three-layer international defamation campaign.

It would be naive to assume that these developments abroad are completely independent of developments inside the country. Particularly at a time when Turkey is going through the difficulties associated with becoming a freer and more democratic country via a process of great transformation and transition, we see that the Gülen movement, a major social dynamic of this transformation and transition, is frequently made into a target. However, all voluntary organizations and institutions inspired by the thoughts and ideas of Mr. Fethullah Gülen operate in full compliance with the laws not just of Turkey, but of whatever country they are in. Although they conduct their activities with full transparency, some groups are insistently attempting to blame them for the activities shadowy networks.

Like all democratic and liberal groups in this country, the Gülen movement is giving full support to the process that will make Turkey a full-fledged democracy and a state governed by the real rule of law. For this reason, it is becoming the target of all pro-status quo groups, with one foot in the grave, that do not want to lose their privileged positions within the dark web of shadowy relations in Turkey. In particular, as the Sept. 12 referendum for constitutional reforms, which will be a major watershed in Turkey's struggle for democratization and the rule of law, nears, we see efforts at home and abroad are given full steam to defame the Gülen movement as if it is sole mere driving force behind this democratic transformation.

Former police chief Hanefi Avci's book, "Simons in the Golden Horn," which sprang to popularity recently, should be considered in this context. Evidence suggests that Avci penned this book out of disappointment with his career expectations, his urge to show peer solidarity with some high-ranking police official friends who are charged with various offenses and as a pre-emptive measure so that whatever happens to these high-ranking police officials after they are tried will not happen to him, as well.

In this book, which reads like fiction, Avci backpedals from previous statements and assertions and attempts not only to reverse the process of litigation of his friends who are jailed in relation to organized crime, but also to influence and disrupt the judicial processes relating to the ongoing criminal proceedings against Ergenekon, the Sledgehammer (Balyoz) coup plot, the Cage (Kafes) action plan, the anti-reactionary action plan, the murder of Hrant Dink and the Council of State attack, and to confuse voters ahead of the upcoming referendum by creating the false impression that these judicial processes are being conducted with ulterior motives by the Gülen movement, which he attempts to discredit in the eyes of the general public although it is a major driving force behind Turkey's democratic and liberal transformation. Avci chooses to ignore, distort or twist all the facts that might disrupt his imaginary scenario. Thus, Avci's book ignores all the evidence that does not suit his purposes and opts to turn a blind eye to all the decisions given by higher courts, particularly concerning the Council of State attack.

I hope Hanefi Avci is sufficiently pleased with the new role he has taken for himself in this multi-layer defamation campaign. This is because, I am sure, Avci's zealous efforts in this black propaganda that we listed above in the top-down form of Islamophobia-Turcophobia-Gülenophobia will have a bottom-up effect. Avci should be proud of himself for the support he lends to this evil circle.