Gülen Fainted at Pulpit After Jan. 20 Massacre
RA year before Azerbaijan declared its independence, a massacre took place in Baku on Jan. 20, 1990. Reports of Azerbaijani citizens being crushed under the tracks of tanks used by the Soviet Army ― in order to prevent the ousting of the Communist-dominated government of Azerbaijan by the non-Communist opposition ― sparked strong reactions in Turkey. The respected Fethullah Gülen fainted on the pulpit when explaining the horror of the Jan. 20 massacre to the congregation at the Şadirvan Mosque in İzmir. During his sermon, Gülen told listeners, "Go and help our brothers." That day, Turkish people extended their moral and material support to their Azerbaijani brothers and educator volunteers began a struggle against ignorance. Turkish schools, which Azerbaijan's National Education Minister Misir Merdanov said were his biggest projects in education, first began in Azerbaijan and then spread to the world. Today there are 12 primary and secondary schools, 11 university preparation schools and one university, serving close to 5,000 students. Late President Heydar Aliyev had said: "I supported these schools from the very beginning. I will continue to support it today and tomorrow because these schools brought with them improvement. They improved the Azerbaijani education system." Education Minister Merdanov said: "The schools have established such a very strong bridge between the two countries that no one can destroy it. These schools also help to abolish the ‘one nation, two states' philosophy."
Heydar Aliyev played an important role in Azerbaijan's development. After Aliyev was re-elected as president in 1998, Gülen, the person behind the opening of Turkish schools in Azerbaijan sent Aliyev a letter congratulating him on his victory. As a response, Aliyev sent him a thank you letter in which he wrote, "I wish you strong health and success in your beneficial activities." Çağ Öğretim Corporation Board of Directors Enver Özeren said: "Our first and main task is to serve the Azerbaijan-Turkish brotherhood... Hundreds of teachers are coming from different parts of Anatolia to help out their brothers there. They are sharing the knowledge and information with others."
Current President İlham Aliyev noted: "I like and support these schools very much. They have a big responsibility." In his most recent visit to Turkey, İlham Aliyev spoke with Özeren about issues concerning the school and said he wanted the number of schools to be increased.
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