PM’s former chief advisor and AKP deputy dismisses allegations of tension between AK Party and Gülen movement

Turkey has been a truly very interesting country where one will face several top important news each and every day. In other words, the agenda is full and with top news all the time.

Recently a conflict between the police department (and judiciary to include some prosecutors) has been on the agenda. Within this scope several prosecutors and top police officers have been appointed to other posts (probably demoted, in a way) and rumors as to there is a very high tension between the AK Party government and the faith-based Gülen movement (alleged to be holding very important positions in the state, to include the security organization and the judiciary) has been referred to on TV channels and in newspapers etc.

In other words this is supposed be a war of power between two very strong fronts (both pro-islam) and people are concerned about where it would lead Turkey.

At this point an AKP deputy known for being very close toPM Erdoğan has written an article about the issue which we believe anybody interested in the issue would find quite interesting.

The article is inserted below.

Editor, BTT

PM’s aide dismisses rift between AK Party and Gülen movement

Yalçın Akdoğan15 February 2012 / TODAY’S ZAMAN

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s former chief advisor and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy Yalçın Akdoğan dismissed allegations of tension between the AK Party government and the faith-based Gülen movement in his article in the Yeni Şafak daily on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s former chief advisor and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy Yalçın Akdoğan dismissed allegations of tension between the AK Party government and the faith-based Gülen movement in his article in the Yeni Şafak daily on Wednesday.

“One organ of a person cannot nourish feelings of hostility to another organ, it cannot adopt a hostile attitude against it.

What some circles do not understand today is this: There cannot be a conflict or contention between members of the Gülen movement who love Prime Minister [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan from the heart and AK Party supporters who have love for Mr. [Fethullah] Gülen, these people cannot be separated from each other because they are the same people,” Akdoğan wrote in his column.

Akdoğan writes his columns for Yeni Şafak under the pen name of Yasin Doğan. Some media outlets in Turkey frequently put forward claims that relations between the AK Party and Gülen movement, which used to be positive in the past, are cooling and there is a growing tension between them. Akdoğan said these claims are part of a game to foment a fight between the AK Party and the Gülen movement, adding that his party is well aware of this game and is determined to foil it.

“There has never been a rift or contention between the AK Party and the Gülen movement and there will be none in the future. The relationship between the two is not just a unity of hearts but a unity of goals, to achieve a big ideal in Turkey. Those who wish a conflict between these two groups, which function in two different domains, will be disappointed again. Those who sow the seeds of evil do not only want to drag the AK Party and the movement into a lose-lose downward spiral, they also want to separate Turkey from its current goal of democratization,” he wrote.

The Gülen movement, inspired by Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen’s moderate views, has millions of followers in Turkey. It has also opened numerous schools around the world. Gülen promotes values such as dialogue and tolerance. He currently resides in the United States.

In a sign that there is no conflict between the Gülen movement and the AK Party, Gülen released a public “get-well soon” message to Erdoğan this week following a second operation on his digestive system at the weekend.

In the message, Gülen said whenever he prays to God he remembers Erdoğan, who he said has become a source of pride for Turkey thanks to his services. He also said he was very concerned about Erdoğan when he had the first operation.

When Gülen did not release a “get-well soon” message after Erdoğan’s first operation last year, the same media outlets interpreted this as a sign of conflict between the movement and the AK Party.

16.02.2012
SOURCE: TODAYS ZAMAN