REPUBLIC OF TURKEY PRIME MINISTRY PRESIDENCY OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS HIGH BOARD OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS RELIGIOUS EXPLOITATION AND GULEN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION EXTRAORDINARY RELIGIOUS COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS OCETKOİBME 2R0 21061 •6 A•N AKNAKRAARA Prepared for Publication High Board of Religious Affairs Coordination General Directorate of Religious Publications Design Emre Yıldız High Board of Religious Affairs Resolution: 31.08.2016/11 Print © PRESIDENCY OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS General Directorate of Religious Publications Department of Printed Publications Tel: +90 (312) 295 72 93 • Fax: +90 (312) 284 72 88 e-mail : [email protected] C ON TEN T S OPENING SPEECHS PRESIDENT RECEP TAYYİP ERDOĞAN 85 PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKER İSMAİL KAHRAMAN 95 DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER PROF. DR. NUMAN KURTULMUŞ 101 PRESIDENT OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS PROF. DR. MEHMET GÖRMEZ 107 COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS AND DETAILED EXPLANATIONS 115 RESOURCES 160 RELIGIOUS EXPLOITATION AND GULEN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION PRESIDENT RE CEP TAY YİP ERDOĞ AN PRESIDENCY OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS OPENING SPEECH FOR THE EXTRAORDINARY RELIGIOUS COUNCIL (03 August 2016, ANKARA) In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Mr. Speaker of the Parliament, Esteemed Guests, Dear Brothers and Sisters, I salute you with my sincerest feelings, with fondness, and with reverence: May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be with you. I hope that good things will come out of the Extraordinary Religious Council held by the Pres- idency of Religious Affairs. I offer my gratitude to all scholars, clerics, and experts who will contribute to the council with their opinions, evaluations, and propositions. I thank the Presidency of Religious Affairs, an institution at the behest of the nation and in the service of the clear religion of Islam, for holding this important meeting. 85 EXTRAORDINARY RELIGIOUS COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS Dear Brothers and Sisters; As is known, our country has experienced very important developments in the last three years. The armed coup attempt we suffered on the night of July 15 was the bloodiest and daring part of this process. At the center of these developments, which closely concerned our survival as state and na- tion, was the Fetullahist Terror Organization which was disguised as a religious organization, a community, an institution offering education services. Actually, it was because of its identity that made those religious values stand out which enabled this treacherous organization to live in our society for 40 years like a cancerous cell, like an infectious virus. We would hear it from time to time; people would say “they are not an armed group.” And we would reply, “You are wrong. They are an organization that will use weapons in the best way when the time comes.” They would ask “How?” And we said, “Look, this is a group organized inside our Armed Forces and they have the character to point those weapons at this nation when it is time.” They did not believe it. They would not believe it. Of course we were not at the point of saying this openly on platforms at the time. These were talks we held in private meetings. And when it turned out to be true, those friends came and said “You were right.” Esteemed Scholars, Dear Brothers and Sisters; Our nation protected, looked after, and supported this group and acted on good will towards them, like it did to any group regardless of disposition that said “Allah”, that said “Prophet”, that fulfilled their religious obligations, that worked to earn good deeds, that at least seemed like that. Since the single party era and for a long time, there was a period in when there was a com- pletely wrongful crackdown on religious communities using state opportunities because of the “reactionism paranoia”. Like every other group, this organization too continued to exist under the wings of our nation during that period. The late Mr. Özal, Mr. Demirel, and Mr. Ecevit, and even we, despite being politicians and statesmen from different ideologies, supported this group in good faith. I will be honest; despite the fact that there were many aspects I disagreed with, I also helped them like every other segment thinking we could meet on a common ground. 86 EXTRAORDINARY RELIGIOUS EXPLOITATION RELIGIOUS COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS AND GULEN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION I enabled this group to benefit from our effort to bring all previously ostracized and marginal- ized segments to the center, which was described as the “periphery” by Şerif Mardin. Despite all our hesitation about the person and staff at the top of this organization, we tol- erated them for the sake of the non-formal education, charity, and solidarity activities they seemed to be carrying out inside and outside the country. We tolerated them because they said “Allah.” We thought we had something common. But believe me, we did not and could not see for a long time that this organization, which we regarded as a different path to the same destination, actually was the tool, means, and cover for entirely different intentions and sneaky plans. As a matter of fact, I had many senior executive friends with whom I have shared this obser- vation since 2010. And our attitude changed naturally as of that year. Especially after 2012, we clearly revealed our reservations about the organization. I had serious doubts about the escalating operations and cases directed at Turkish Armed Forces personnel at the time. And I shared them with their officials. The reasons for the arrests and charges brought against some generals, whom I had known very closely and with whom I had worked for many years, were not convincing me. Similarly, I was seriously disturbed by the concentration of power obtained by members of this group in the public and private sectors and by their attitude which did not allow the sur- vival of people who were not affiliated with them. However, I had difficulty explaining the issue even to my own friends at the time. The 17-25 December coup attempt we saw in 2013 was a move in which this treacherous group revealed its true face so starkly for the first time. I could not even share this with many friends. When it was all out there, we were part of plot that had me at the top of the organiza- tion. Our current Prime Minister Mr. Yıldırım was below me and so were our Energy Minister, my son, and a couple of businessmen that you also know. Many friends still would not believe even when I told them about it. They said they would not do something like that. That they were taking the steps towards a crucial operation. I know that there are people who still do not believe it. Unfortunately, there are people who look but still cannot see. From this point on, esteemed scholars, the period of “doubt” is over; the period of “fighting back” has started. I must emphasize this; if it had not been for the measures we took after December 17-25, especially the precautions we took in the judiciary, this coup d’état attempt would have prob- ably been a much greater threat including not only a group of terrorists in the Armed Forces 87 EXTRAORDINARY RELIGIOUS COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS but also other elements of bureaucracy like the police, the judiciary. Despite everything, I am deeply sorry for not being able to reveal the true face of this treacherous organization before. I know we have to answer to the Almighty and to our nation for that. May the Almighty and my nation forgive us. Dear Brothers and Sisters; In the words of our beloved Prophet, a Muslim is someone who “shows gratitude when something good happens, and shows patience when something bad happens.” Because it is better for them. July 15 was one of the greatest troubles in our recent history that we suffered as a nation. Thankfully, we have repulsed it as 79 million people altogether with the fight we put up with patience, with courage, with resolve, and with sagacity. Without a doubt, the night of July 15 was a dark one but the following morning ended up being just as bright. Now, it is time to bring to justice the people responsible for this heinous attack towards our country and nation, and it is also time to examine things. You know how a so-called professor, a sorry excuse of a professor said the people would not go out into the streets and it was not like what people thought. They did not know this nation well enough. They did not embrace this nation’s spirit. But I did believe in my nation. And for I believed in them, I called my nation to squares and to airports. I said I would be with them, I said I would join them and not go to Rhodes or other places. And thank Allah, when we landed at Istanbul Atatürk Airport and got to the apron, I saw how tens of thousands of peo- ple swarmed the terminal in just three hours. This nation is a great nation. Praise Allah, this nation is surely powerful in faith. I see no other example and the history of coups will write this nation on a different note. Their story will be told differently. Because there is no other nation anywhere else that will stand up with flags against weapons, F-16s, F-4s, and tanks. Some people lump this organization together with PKK terrorist organization. How so? PKK does not even have proper weapons. But FETO, the Fetullahist Terrorist Organization, rained bullets and bombs on its nation with F-16s, F-4s, tanks, shells, and helicopters bought with taxes of the nation. They already act together when they need; they act together with PYD, with PKK. We went through that during election campaigns. We know how they were togeth- er in election offices, especially from their outfits. We knew and saw they were together in election offices, turning their back on us. It was obvious where, with whom, and how they 88 EXTRAORDINARY RELIGIOUS EXPLOITATION RELIGIOUS COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS AND GULEN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION would act. They had many faces. But there is no more explanation or excuse for the members of this organization to still be there despite the legal and security scandals during December 17-25; the injustice, the blackmails, the many disgraces unearthed in the meantime, and the horror they witnessed on July 15. Brothers and Sisters; The Almighty enjoins in the Holy Quran that the mischief-makers who do not know what they are doing call themselves “reformers.” This is exactly the case for this organization. I proclaim from this hall: From now on, anyone who continues to lend an ear to the delusion of the charlatan, the terrorist leader in Pennsylvania is considered to have accepted before- hand what will happen to them. Of course, the most important trait of this organization is their two-facedness under the name of “precaution” and “dissimulation” and making lies, hypocrisy, wearing a mask all the time, and turning soullessness into a habit for its members. Their twisted cause has become a religion for those who would say “it’s raining” when you spat on their faces, who would keep silent even when you insulted their most sacred values, and who do not even have any respect for their own family privacy. But this religion is about oneness and it enjoins a certain believer profile. What kind of a person who has a cause denies the commands of the religion they adhere to? Notice that I am not saying “neglects.” When a treacherous network uses religious motifs, can it be enough to absolve them and make them look innocent? All the deviants of the world are sincere in their beliefs. The fact that members of Fetullahist Terror Organization are sincere in their loyalty to this structure and that they accept everything they are told without questioning proves that they are not right and they are on the wrong path in religious terms. The Holy Quran enjoins us dozens of times to use our minds. It asks us “if we ever think or reason.” It commands us to do so. There is nothing left to do for a person who has submitted their mind and will to not Allah but to a mortal being, a mortal one living in America even, and who still does not question themselves. If we will be together with our loved ones, then everyone is free to go their own way. 89 EXTRAORDINARY RELIGIOUS COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS We have done our duty of warning for years. We described them as faith at the bottom, trade in the middle, and betrayal at the top. I am starting to even doubt about the “faith at the bot- tom” part. Why? Because there are still people who are anxious to do that. Why? Because I look with suspicion at a person who submits their mind, their conscience, their everything to such a charlatan, I suspect them because of how the Almighty asks “Don’t you reason?” in the Quran as I have said earlier. From now on, it is time to fight in every sense, it is time to call them to account in every sense. I also have to say this: Since hypocrisy runs in the blood of this organization, we have serious doubts about those who say they are regretful. Do they regret it now? I am not saying this in a vengeful manner. Do they really have regrets? Or are they being hypocrites which is the trademark of the treacherous network they are in? We are having difficulty understanding it. Of course we will say what really matters is what they say. Sorry but we will not lower our guard all the way down against these people. Be- cause you cannot hurt a believer on the same spot twice. Dear Brothers and Sisters; Theft is bad. But the greatest theft is robbing people’s religion, faith, sincerity, and hope. As the biggest network of thieves in history, Fetullahist Terror Organization stole the past and future of tens of thousands of people. There were many groups like that in history. As I have been saying for many years, one of the most striking examples is Hassan-i Sabbah of Islamiliyya who founded the Hashashin. The Hashashin, like most of the Fetullahist Terror Organization members, were well-trained, had good careers, managed to conceal themselves for years, and were committed to absolute obedience to their leader. Those were the Hashashin. It did not stop the same people from turning into assassins, murderers, suicide bombers when the time came and their leader gave the order. Now, the same things are being said about FETO members. It is true that they committed murders that remain unresolved. It is all coming to light. Our faith says death of a person is death of the entire humankind. So, can you expect anything else from those who rain bombs on their citizens with F-16s and F-4s? The Grand National Assembly of Turkey was bombed. The Presidential Palace was bombed. I talked about it in a few places; a female citizen’s head was cut off from her body and we found it on the roof of the Congress Center. What kind of savagery is this? Does it have a place in our religion? Who 90