Revelations Hurt Gülen, Prosecutor Demands Punishment
Prosecuter Nuh Mete Yuksel confirmed that his office had initiated a probe into Gülen's remarks broadcast on ATV. The TV station broadcast recordings of Gülen's confidential conversations with his followers. Unconfirmed reports say that cassettes containing the comments had been given to ATV by a retired general. There were additional claims that this retired general was Kemal Yavuz.
Then prosecutor said the remarks of Gülen suggested he was preparing to lunch an uprising and take over the state, which was a capital offense.
Gülen had warned a group of his followers in the recordings that, "If they … come out earl, the world will squash their heads. They would make Muslims once again relive incidents such as those that occurred in Algeria."
Prosecutors apparently believe that Gülen was warning his followers that if they rose up before they were fully prepared, they would face defeat.
The new revelations come in the aftermath of a report prepared by the Intelligence Department of the Police which charged that Gülen and his followers were trying to get hold of the state apparatus and destroy the secular republic. In his recordings aired by ATV Gülen stressed the importance of seizing control of bureaucratic positions.
In the recording Gülen underlined the importance of expanding his group within the civil and justice administrations. "In these entities will be our guarantee for the future," he said.
Moreover, he advised his followers to negatiate with political organizations like the True Path Party (DYP) and the banned pro-Islamic Welfare Party (RP). In his TV remarks he addressed Ataturk's corade-in-arms Ismet Inonu, one of the leaders of the War of Independence, about whom he allegedly said, "The chief hanged the women in veils in Erzurum in the middle of the street."
Excerpts from Gülen's remarks
"In a place where there is no balence o power, you should not use power. Instead of technique-tactic, rely on your heaart. Some people on the outside might accuse us of being cowards. If you find an opportunity to continue on your path, you should show flexibility, but in the meantime look like you are withdrawing; however, you will still continue taking forward for both our friends working in the civil administration as well as in the justice administration," Gülen continued.
Gülen stresses the importance of people making progress without disclosing their presence. "This should be obeyed. Until Muslims arrive at a certain stage, service should be rendered in this way. If they… come out early, the world will squash their heads. They will make Muslims once again relive the kind of incidents that occurred in Algeria. Let us not live the same situation as happened Algeria, Syria and Egypt. It is obligatory to act cautiously. Those who are involved in rendering this service and those who want to render service accordingly should all act like diplomats who can administer the world. After the issues are solved on a personal basis, they should try to solve them on a national basis."
Instead of showing heroism, try to seize all places, said Gülen in his remarks: "Some might think that in order to encourage certain courageous souls, dauntless attitudes are perhaps necessary; however, as I am not a balance of power, I prefer to spread my thoughts and seize all places. People who are civil servants cannot be heroic; it would be unnecessary heroism. Such things are not necessary. Whatever is necessary in the name of our religion and our Islamic thought should be done in that field."
"There are other powers in this country; however, things could have been done by soliciting their thoughts. By asking them, we would have brought them over to our side and walked together. We would have overcome the evil, and with the blessing of Allah we would not have returned; this mistake wouldn't have been made. This is valid within the justice administration as well, meaning that you are not judges. There are other powers this country. By taking these various powers into consideration, it is beneficial to take our steps cautiously so that we will not have to take o step backwards."
Speaking about the mysterious "houses" that are operating like schools of theology or convents, Gülen said: "These houses are mysterious. These houses are not the houses you know that have minarets or where prayers are called. The designation 'mysterious' has been especially chosen. These houses are ambiguous. They can not be defined, because those people who go in and out of the houses are being closely followed. Their presence should be covered up as much as possible within the houses.
"Any steps taken at this stage would be early, before power in constitutional institutions is on your side. Every step will be early until one arrives at a certain level, until one has the power to carry the world on his back and has all things in hand to represent that power to carry the world on his back and has all things in hand to represent that power and until we have the power of the constitutional establishments on our side. I know you will throw the empty juice cans into the wastebasket when you leave; you will also throw these thoughts into the wastebasket."
Reactions
President Suleyman Demirel commented: "The Fethullah Gülen incident is not a new incident in Turkey. This is an issue that has been discussed for a long time. It is not yet clear whether this is an issue of thought, politics or religion. And I don't really know what those who are involved will say about the claims he made recently on cassette. As a result, if the aim is to seize the state, this is political. Nobody has the right to disobey that which the laws of the Turkish Republic consider a crime. Allegations about seizing the state are very serious. The state's judiciary organ has taken action."
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit was cautious as he said the country's agenda should not be put off course with such debates. He said so many goods things are being accomplished in Turkey these days and these should not be clouded with such an issue. "It is not appropriate to comment on this issue without hearing the accused person's remarks and without discussing this issue with my colleagues," Ecevit commented.
"However, my citizens should be relieved. Nobody has been able to harm the secular democratic republic until now, and nobody will be able to do it in the future," he continued.
Moreover, he said that many organizations in Turkey with political or religious intentions are trying to secure positions within the state. "Not just one organization – I can easily say that all political organizations except the Democratic Left Party [DSP] is trying to secure bureaucratic posts within the state. By promulgating certain objective rules, we are trying to prevent this type of securing of positions within the state mechanism."
Defense
Gülen, in the United States receiving treatment for a serious heart condition, categorically denied any wrongdoing and stressed he did his best to avoid any kind of conflict and rifts in Turkey. He said he has always been a proponent of goodwill and tolerance.
He said he respects the secular Republican system and his track record in the past few years proves this. He said the recordings were taken out of context and did not reflect the real picture. 06.21.1999
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