By Mary Addi
On July 15, 2016, a failed military coup attempted to overthrow the Turkish government and its’ President, Recip Tayyip Erdogan. The post-coup fallout has been swift and severe, with over 6,000 coup participants arrested.
Say what you will – but if the majority of Turkish people did not want Erdogan in power, his call to flood the streets and take back the cities would not have succeeded – and it did.
I am not a Turkish citizen, and unlike a great majority of United States’ politicians, have never visited Turkey. But what I am intimately familiar with are the dynamics involved in the Recip Erdogan and Fethullah Gulen rivalry.
My husband, a Turkish citizen and former Gulenist suffered greatly at the hands of the Gulenists. He was falsely arrested on trumped up charges after he refused to sign a Gulenist -fabricated document stating that he had manufactured evidence against the Gulenists, evidence that had been handed over to United States’ federal authorities. As a result, he spent almost two years fighting the phony charges until he was finally exonerated and able to return to the United States.
For the past 8 years, we have spent considerable time with United States’ federal agencies, participated in media interviews, attended local and out of state school board meetings and organized protests, all in an attempt to alert the United States government and citizens about how dangerous Fethullah Gulen and his followers are.
And yet, during those 8 years, the United States' tax funded charter schools operated by the Gulenists continued to prosper and expand, reaching across our country and numbering almost 160. During those 8 years we have watched as more and more American politicians accepted free trips to Turkey and campaign contributions, including millions of dollars thrown at Hillary Clinton’s foundation and campaign.
All the while, the self-proclaimed “moderate” Islamic Imam running this show, Fethullah Gulen, remains safely ensconced at his retreat in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, carefully orchestrating the strings on his brain-washed supporters who continuously skirt US state and federal laws; and while -- according to the Turkish government, has worked diligently and simultaneously to overthrow its government. Gulen’s criminal duality is deeply entrenched in both the United States and Turkey, with no end in sight.
So how does a 75 year old Imam from Turkey get carte blanche to pillage United States’ tax coffers while furthering his religious and political agenda -- and with such dogged impunity for the past 16 years?
After the failed coup – which Erdogan blamed on Fethullah Gulen, the “reclusive” Gulen managed to come out of his retreat long enough to speak publicly about Erdogan’s accusations. In true Gulen wag the dog fashion, Gulen blamed Erdogan, accusing him of manufacturing the coup to discredit him. Gulen stated that since leaving Turkey he (Gulen) does not keep up on Turkish politics and has no idea who his followers are. Further, Gulen slammed Erdogan for his suppression of women’s rights.
So we are to believe that Gulen – a man whose organization owned and operated some of Turkey’s largest media outlets, banks, and businesses (which have since been seized by the Turkish government) – does not follow what is going on in Turkey – or that he does not know who his followers are.
Perhaps someone should tell Gulen that the never ending entourage of Turkish men making treks up to the Poconos to have audiences with Gulen are his “followers,” and not there to offer decorating services. A great majority of the followers are US charter school Gulenist’ employees who make regular trips up to Saylorsburg to get a glimpse of the almighty Gulen. Seems only fair – those guys are kicking back up to 40% of their salaries to the organization, so it’s only reasonable that Gulen throw them a bone once in a while.
And let’s talk about Gulen’s agenda on “women’s rights.” With little exception, male Turkish men (Gulenists) hold top level positions within the 160 United States’ funded charter schools and related management organizations -- that -- despite Gulen’s continuous denial – are in fact, part and parcel of the Gulen Movement. The pilgrimages up to the Poconos do not include women, who are not welcome at the compound. The closest 60 Minutes female journalist Lesley Stahl ever got to Gulen was a private audience with Gulen’s chair.
The Turkish government has an active arrest warrant for Fethullah Gulen, accusing him of treason and plotting to overthrow the Turkish government. Further, the Turkish government has labeled Gulen and his followers a terrorist organization, and yet – the United States government continues to offer safe haven to a man who has active arrest warrants against him for both treason and terrorism. For the past 15 years, Gulen’s followers have been issued H1-B visas to reside and teach in United States’ funded charter schools.
Why?
In a world that is fraught with terrorism and instability, why is the United States harboring a known international criminal – one that should have been extradited to Turkey when first requested by one of the United States’ strongest allies?
Secretary John Kerry wants “evidence,” from Turkey before he will consider sending Gulen back to Turkey. Kerry should look in his own backyard and into the machinations of the 160 US charter schools that are helping to fuel Gulen’s terrorist agenda, and he will find evidence, plenty of evidence of Gulen’s organizations’ corrupt and illegal activities.
Instead of blindly throwing millions of grant money at the Gulenist’ schools, and work visas for his followers, perhaps the United States government could take their collective heads out of their bureaucratic asses and take back our schools -- and likewise -- send Gulen home via a one-way ticket to Ankara.
Below are some related articles and information on how to purchase Mark Hall's film, Killing Ed:
www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2016/07/there_could_be_a_connection_between_some_local_schools_and_the_attempted_
coup_in_turkey_just_a_fuzzy_one.html
petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/i-would-our-government-stop-providing-safe-haven-fethullah-gulen-and-i-want-him-delivered-turkey
killinged.com/
On July 15, 2016, a failed military coup attempted to overthrow the Turkish government and its’ President, Recip Tayyip Erdogan. The post-coup fallout has been swift and severe, with over 6,000 coup participants arrested.
Say what you will – but if the majority of Turkish people did not want Erdogan in power, his call to flood the streets and take back the cities would not have succeeded – and it did.
I am not a Turkish citizen, and unlike a great majority of United States’ politicians, have never visited Turkey. But what I am intimately familiar with are the dynamics involved in the Recip Erdogan and Fethullah Gulen rivalry.
My husband, a Turkish citizen and former Gulenist suffered greatly at the hands of the Gulenists. He was falsely arrested on trumped up charges after he refused to sign a Gulenist -fabricated document stating that he had manufactured evidence against the Gulenists, evidence that had been handed over to United States’ federal authorities. As a result, he spent almost two years fighting the phony charges until he was finally exonerated and able to return to the United States.
For the past 8 years, we have spent considerable time with United States’ federal agencies, participated in media interviews, attended local and out of state school board meetings and organized protests, all in an attempt to alert the United States government and citizens about how dangerous Fethullah Gulen and his followers are.
And yet, during those 8 years, the United States' tax funded charter schools operated by the Gulenists continued to prosper and expand, reaching across our country and numbering almost 160. During those 8 years we have watched as more and more American politicians accepted free trips to Turkey and campaign contributions, including millions of dollars thrown at Hillary Clinton’s foundation and campaign.
All the while, the self-proclaimed “moderate” Islamic Imam running this show, Fethullah Gulen, remains safely ensconced at his retreat in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, carefully orchestrating the strings on his brain-washed supporters who continuously skirt US state and federal laws; and while -- according to the Turkish government, has worked diligently and simultaneously to overthrow its government. Gulen’s criminal duality is deeply entrenched in both the United States and Turkey, with no end in sight.
So how does a 75 year old Imam from Turkey get carte blanche to pillage United States’ tax coffers while furthering his religious and political agenda -- and with such dogged impunity for the past 16 years?
After the failed coup – which Erdogan blamed on Fethullah Gulen, the “reclusive” Gulen managed to come out of his retreat long enough to speak publicly about Erdogan’s accusations. In true Gulen wag the dog fashion, Gulen blamed Erdogan, accusing him of manufacturing the coup to discredit him. Gulen stated that since leaving Turkey he (Gulen) does not keep up on Turkish politics and has no idea who his followers are. Further, Gulen slammed Erdogan for his suppression of women’s rights.
So we are to believe that Gulen – a man whose organization owned and operated some of Turkey’s largest media outlets, banks, and businesses (which have since been seized by the Turkish government) – does not follow what is going on in Turkey – or that he does not know who his followers are.
Perhaps someone should tell Gulen that the never ending entourage of Turkish men making treks up to the Poconos to have audiences with Gulen are his “followers,” and not there to offer decorating services. A great majority of the followers are US charter school Gulenist’ employees who make regular trips up to Saylorsburg to get a glimpse of the almighty Gulen. Seems only fair – those guys are kicking back up to 40% of their salaries to the organization, so it’s only reasonable that Gulen throw them a bone once in a while.
And let’s talk about Gulen’s agenda on “women’s rights.” With little exception, male Turkish men (Gulenists) hold top level positions within the 160 United States’ funded charter schools and related management organizations -- that -- despite Gulen’s continuous denial – are in fact, part and parcel of the Gulen Movement. The pilgrimages up to the Poconos do not include women, who are not welcome at the compound. The closest 60 Minutes female journalist Lesley Stahl ever got to Gulen was a private audience with Gulen’s chair.
The Turkish government has an active arrest warrant for Fethullah Gulen, accusing him of treason and plotting to overthrow the Turkish government. Further, the Turkish government has labeled Gulen and his followers a terrorist organization, and yet – the United States government continues to offer safe haven to a man who has active arrest warrants against him for both treason and terrorism. For the past 15 years, Gulen’s followers have been issued H1-B visas to reside and teach in United States’ funded charter schools.
Why?
In a world that is fraught with terrorism and instability, why is the United States harboring a known international criminal – one that should have been extradited to Turkey when first requested by one of the United States’ strongest allies?
Secretary John Kerry wants “evidence,” from Turkey before he will consider sending Gulen back to Turkey. Kerry should look in his own backyard and into the machinations of the 160 US charter schools that are helping to fuel Gulen’s terrorist agenda, and he will find evidence, plenty of evidence of Gulen’s organizations’ corrupt and illegal activities.
Instead of blindly throwing millions of grant money at the Gulenist’ schools, and work visas for his followers, perhaps the United States government could take their collective heads out of their bureaucratic asses and take back our schools -- and likewise -- send Gulen home via a one-way ticket to Ankara.
Below are some related articles and information on how to purchase Mark Hall's film, Killing Ed:
www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2016/07/there_could_be_a_connection_between_some_local_schools_and_the_attempted_
coup_in_turkey_just_a_fuzzy_one.html
petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/i-would-our-government-stop-providing-safe-haven-fethullah-gulen-and-i-want-him-delivered-turkey
killinged.com/
