Recently, there have been some striking statements about the current state of the fight against FETÖ.
In particular, the decisions taken by the Council of State regarding FETÖ-affiliated judges and prosecutors dropped like a bomb on the agenda. The fact that the 5th Chamber of the Council of State has decided to reinstate more than 400 judges and prosecutors who were dismissed from their jobs on the grounds of their connection and affiliation with FETÖ, and that the objection of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) has not yet been taken to the agenda of the Council of State Administrative Case Chambers Board has caused great concern.
In the meantime, an interview of FETÖ’s ringleader with members of the organization has shifted the attention to this point. FETÖ chief stated that his members had suffered a great break for a long time and that their hopes had faded, and pointed out that there would be a new resurrection. Mehmet Akif Ersoy wrote a poem for the birth of the Prophet;
14 centuries ago, it was one such night,
An orphan emerged from the sand like the fourteenth of the month
By referring to his words, he gave the impression that the fog would clear. There can be no greater strangeness than the mentality that says “hand over your sons, daughters and wives to the crusaders” addressing its supporters by referring to the birth of the glorious Prophet. Of course, to those who understand!
Known for his striking statements on these developments, Retired Rear Admiral and Topkapı University Faculty Member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cihat Yaycı, President of Mavi Vatan Maritime and Global Strategies Center, gave a very serious warning. He said that Türkiye should be prepared for a broader and more effective repetition of the FETO uprising of July 15, 2016.
Claiming that there are serious shortcomings in the fight against FETÖ, Cihat Yaycı said:
“I believe that the will of Mr. President has not been reciprocated in the bureaucracy and institutions. The fight against FETÖ is being waged by the General Directorate of Security, the National Intelligence Organization, the Gendarmerie and a few heroic prosecutors. But this fight is not a fight that should be left to these units alone. Every institution must do this fight. The Presidency of Religious Affairs must do it within itself. The Council of Higher Education must do it within itself. The Ministry of Health must do it within itself. The Ministry of National Education must do it within itself. Because how this organization has infiltrated the state and institutions is evident in the confessions of confessors and in the intersections and anomalies in the social, professional and educational lives of people who have been previously identified as FETÖ-affiliated…”
As a result of all these developments, concerns and warnings, Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç, in a TV program on February 24, referred to the decisions regarding prosecutors and judges;
“There has been a hesitation among our citizens. They wondered if there was a weakness in the fight against FETÖ,” he said, adding that the fight against FETÖ continues and will continue with the same determination.
A sermon in Hagia Sophia!
In fact, what we have been unable to explain to our authorities is FETÖ’s religious and intellectual structure!… FETÖ has preyed on our youth and our nation by using religious values and perhaps still continues to do so. Therefore, you cannot fight against FETÖ without understanding its religious structure, thoughts and ideas. What you do will only remain as police measures. Maybe they will do nothing but create resentment against the state.
Therefore, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Ministry of National Education have the first and foremost responsibility at this point.
Last week, Mehmet Görmez, the former head of Religious Affairs, gave a sermon at the Hagia Sophia. He started to get a bonus over Palestine again.
I ask you, has he ever given a sermon on FETÖ? I propose him to give a sermon on FETÖ at the Hagia Sophia Mosque next week. Let Diyanet TV broadcast that sermon live and let the nation listen to it. These people should not come out again to score a point and look cute somewhere. They should not be after cheap heroism.
Will the 250 citizens we martyred on July 15 and the thousands of wounded be forgotten so easily!
Mehmet Görmez served as president and vice president of the Presidency of Religious Affairs for nearly 16 years (2003-2017). During this long period of time, did he once warn the masses about FETÖ?
Finally, when Mr. President gave a stern warning to the Diyanet, he released a report exposing FETÖ’s irreligiousness and walked away.
Think and evaluate it carefully. Yes, in that report, after citing excerpts from FETÖ’s works and speeches from 1976 to 2016, they clearly stated that FETÖ had left the circle of Islam. Now let us think. Wouldn’t they say, “As the entire Diyanet community, did you see the irreligion of this organization after 40 years, what were you dealing with at that time”?
The most tragic part is that the names of those who prepared this report have still not been revealed! Isn’t it our right to know why they are hiding it, why they are not disclosing it?
I appeal to the members of the Religious Affairs Committee!
O Diyanet officials: Whose signature is under the title of that report. Please explain!…
So, have the irreligious ideas of this most horrible organization in history been explained to the public? Do the Diyanet officials know? Frankly, I would like to give a briefing to the members of the Religious Affairs Council on this issue.
What decisions were taken at the Abant meetings?
What were they aiming for with the Interfaith Dialogue?
How many were the conditions of faith reduced to? How were expressions of doubt inserted into the principles of faith?
Who were the locksmiths in the opening of schools abroad?
During the February 28th process, what was the role of FETÖ’s ringleader in politics?
What was his view of angels? Why did he throw the Qur’an on the floor?
Why and how was FETÖ protected during the September 12 and February 28 coups?
What other sinister projects did they influence, such as the Holy Birth and the Istanbul Convention?
Which scholars were FETÖ’s ringleader influenced by and where did he stand on Salafism in the 1970s?
After the 80s, whose books did they make young people memorize? What was his view of the Prophet?
What did his letter to the Pope foreshadow?
What was the real purpose of his visit to the US and why couldn’t the Turkish state take him? If July 15 had succeeded, what would have been the outcome for Turkey?…
Without knowing all this, it is frankly impossible for young people to understand him.
The members of the Supreme Council of Religious Affairs may say, “We know these things very well”. Then I ask: “Why are they silent? Why are they not as concerned as Cihat Yaycı Pasha? According to them, is the danger of FETÖ completely over or is FETÖ not a danger at all? Why doesn’t someone come out every week and give a sermon at the Hagia Sophia Mosque to explain FETÖ’s corrupt beliefs, and why doesn’t Diyanet TV broadcast it live?”
Therefore, the most painful part of the matter is that it is doubtful how much information those who say they are fighting against FETÖ have about them. Those who do not know can neither take measures nor carry them out!
If their intentions are good, they should be properly evaluated. All this cannot be the task of a ministry, an institution or an organization. Can the Council of Higher Education exclude itself from this task? Can the Ministries of National Education and Youth-Sports pass this task by? Will the Ministries of Culture and Family say “it is none of our business”? If the country is in danger, shouldn’t all institutions be on alert?
In fact, all ministers should come together to evaluate this issue and identify it as a common area of activity. There should also be a commission to follow up the struggle within the Presidency.
Otherwise, statements like “let our nation be at ease” will not reassure anyone!
REFLECTION
The eternal verdict of Allah is what matters, but be prudent,
If you do your work thoughtfully, Allah will appreciate you.
Lâ Edrî
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Şimşirgil
1th March 2024
Türkiye Gazetesi