Update on this blog:
Since Amsterdam & Associates was hired by the Turkish government, Fethullah Gulen has been accused by Turkey as the instigator behind the 2016 failed Turkish coup; and Gulen and his organization has been labeled a terrorist organization. Turkish President Erdogan has demanded hat the United States extradite Gulen back to Turkey for prosecution, which to date still has not happened.
Instead, the alleged terrorist continues to live peacefully in an armed compound in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, and his cronies continue to run 173 US tax- funded schools.
The law firm associated with Amsterdam and Partners filed a federal lawsuit in Philadelphia against Fetullah Gulen and on behalf of three Turkish plaintiffs who allege that Gulen is guilty of orchestrating human rights violations against the Turkish plaintiffs, and has been doing so from his fortress in Pennsylvania since seeking exile here in 1999.
In addition to the lawsuit, Robert Amsterdam held a press conference in which he accused the Gulenists of being complicit in “human trafficking” activities, that he described could be considered nothing short of criminal activities. Specifically, Amsterdam pointed to the “indentured servitude,” attitude that the Gulenists levy against their H1-B visa employees working here in the United States and abroad.
I get it – and have for the past 11 years when I started my investigation into the Gulenists and their stronghold on the United States' public educational system – specifically by means of our 173 tax- funded charter schools managed by the Gulenists and being used a vehicle to further Gulen’s agenda.
But as Amsterdam noted, why hasn’t the United States government acted on a criminal investigation to date? Why in fact did it take an international lawsuit to bring attention to Gulen’s criminal organization that has been operating in our country unfettered for over 19 years? Are our politicians so busy stuffing their campaign coffers with Gulenists’ funds (via our tax dollars), and vacationing on free trips to Turkey that they are willing to sacrifice United States' teachers and children for the sake of their greed, political power, and complacency?
If awards were given out for manipulation, coercion, and intimidation tactics, the Gulenists would win hands down. They have mastered those techniques and to date – have been widely successful in suppressing their dissidents. As Amsterdam expressed, people are fearful that their livelihood and reputations will be destroyed – or worse, as often has been the case in Turkey -- be falsely accused of crimes and jailed. It’s that ubiquitous terror hanging over the heads of their victims that silences Gulen’s opponents, and allows the Gulenists to maintain momentum.
But sometimes courage needs to triumph over fear of the unknown – fear of reprisal – fear of intimidation – fear over lost reputations. Sometimes it takes the courage of just one person with integrity and dignity to – as a respected federal official once told me – to get the slow moving elephant to start a stampede and trample everything in its sight.
Isn't it always better to be the elephant and not the trampled debris crushed beneath its feet?
Below are some links to Amsterdam’s video, related news stories, and the actual case filed with the US Federal Court in Philadelphia:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCoiGO2oJlU
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-politics-lawsuit-idUSKBN0TS20E20151209#FRBRAcZkkU37pp0f.97
https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/ohio-charter-schools-among-network-accused-of-human-trafficking-and-teaching-islam-1.646362&ct=ga&cd=CAEYACoUMTAzNzU5MTM3NDgyMjgwMzc1MjQyGjliNjMwYmM0M2NhZjg5NGE6Y29tOmVuOlVT&usg=AFQjCNEhv7osiWnWOjSeOAir1V2J1LVYZA
http://www.scribd.com/doc/292742265/Ates-v-Gulen-Complaint-and-Jury-Trial-Request-C3-C2
Since Amsterdam & Associates was hired by the Turkish government, Fethullah Gulen has been accused by Turkey as the instigator behind the 2016 failed Turkish coup; and Gulen and his organization has been labeled a terrorist organization. Turkish President Erdogan has demanded hat the United States extradite Gulen back to Turkey for prosecution, which to date still has not happened.
Instead, the alleged terrorist continues to live peacefully in an armed compound in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, and his cronies continue to run 173 US tax- funded schools.
The law firm associated with Amsterdam and Partners filed a federal lawsuit in Philadelphia against Fetullah Gulen and on behalf of three Turkish plaintiffs who allege that Gulen is guilty of orchestrating human rights violations against the Turkish plaintiffs, and has been doing so from his fortress in Pennsylvania since seeking exile here in 1999.
In addition to the lawsuit, Robert Amsterdam held a press conference in which he accused the Gulenists of being complicit in “human trafficking” activities, that he described could be considered nothing short of criminal activities. Specifically, Amsterdam pointed to the “indentured servitude,” attitude that the Gulenists levy against their H1-B visa employees working here in the United States and abroad.
I get it – and have for the past 11 years when I started my investigation into the Gulenists and their stronghold on the United States' public educational system – specifically by means of our 173 tax- funded charter schools managed by the Gulenists and being used a vehicle to further Gulen’s agenda.
But as Amsterdam noted, why hasn’t the United States government acted on a criminal investigation to date? Why in fact did it take an international lawsuit to bring attention to Gulen’s criminal organization that has been operating in our country unfettered for over 19 years? Are our politicians so busy stuffing their campaign coffers with Gulenists’ funds (via our tax dollars), and vacationing on free trips to Turkey that they are willing to sacrifice United States' teachers and children for the sake of their greed, political power, and complacency?
If awards were given out for manipulation, coercion, and intimidation tactics, the Gulenists would win hands down. They have mastered those techniques and to date – have been widely successful in suppressing their dissidents. As Amsterdam expressed, people are fearful that their livelihood and reputations will be destroyed – or worse, as often has been the case in Turkey -- be falsely accused of crimes and jailed. It’s that ubiquitous terror hanging over the heads of their victims that silences Gulen’s opponents, and allows the Gulenists to maintain momentum.
But sometimes courage needs to triumph over fear of the unknown – fear of reprisal – fear of intimidation – fear over lost reputations. Sometimes it takes the courage of just one person with integrity and dignity to – as a respected federal official once told me – to get the slow moving elephant to start a stampede and trample everything in its sight.
Isn't it always better to be the elephant and not the trampled debris crushed beneath its feet?
Below are some links to Amsterdam’s video, related news stories, and the actual case filed with the US Federal Court in Philadelphia:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCoiGO2oJlU
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-politics-lawsuit-idUSKBN0TS20E20151209#FRBRAcZkkU37pp0f.97
https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/ohio-charter-schools-among-network-accused-of-human-trafficking-and-teaching-islam-1.646362&ct=ga&cd=CAEYACoUMTAzNzU5MTM3NDgyMjgwMzc1MjQyGjliNjMwYmM0M2NhZjg5NGE6Y29tOmVuOlVT&usg=AFQjCNEhv7osiWnWOjSeOAir1V2J1LVYZA
http://www.scribd.com/doc/292742265/Ates-v-Gulen-Complaint-and-Jury-Trial-Request-C3-C2
