Former Speaker of Parliament Çiçek: ‘90% of the blame may be on us’
Former Speaker of the Grand National Assembly Cemil Çiçek made a statement about placement of Cemaat (Gülen community) within the state since 70’s by asserting everybody has ‘sinned’ in this regard but indicating that ‘AKP may have sinned 90%’.
AKP MP and former Speaker of the Parliament Cemil Çiçek has made remarks almost standing as confessions. Repeating their assertions on ‘having been cheated on’, Çiçek also added that ‘their sin may be 90%.’
While giving statements to a group of journalists at Grand National Assembly about the current state of affairs, Çiçek reminded how Gülenists have been positioned in state offices since the 1970’s and said, “All of us have fallen into sin with regards to their (Gülenists’) spread to this extend.” He continued: “Maybe my sin is 90%; and, another’s is 5%, while some other’s is 1%. But even 1% is enough for getting poisoned, let’s not forget that! Turkey is a country of the misled in term of politics, religion, and commerce. You see how easily people get tricked in these fields. And, the field they do this most easily is religion. This is why I often emphasize unrecorded religion.”
Reminder on ‘merit system’
Overlooking the fact that placements in state offices throughout their administration have been carried out in a way that ignored the principles of a merit system, Çiçek made an emphasis on the importance of ‘merit’ by saying, “If everything is transparent and subject to monitoring, these kinds of things will not be experienced. They are not getting cleaned out of the state structure. But who they will be replaced with is very important. These new employees must be hired based on merit, under great control. Otherwise, FETÖ might go and ÇETO might come.”
Lobbying efforts of the Gülen community
Çiçek also mentioned Gülenists’ lobbying activities abroad by giving examples: “We also saw the harms of the Gülenists’ lobbying activities, which they do by giving money abroad, after the investigation of 17-25 December. While I was the speaker of the parliament, I visited USA and Canada in 2015 in order to hold talks with regards to the Armenian resolutions. Our members from the embassies at that time had told us about the lobbying activities of Cemaat against Turkey.
We realized at that time that the politicians that we had arranged interviews had already been visited by Gülenists before us and that they were against Turkey and Turks. We also found out later that some others paid visits after our talks. There, we wanted to join the activities of think-tanks and share our views. While there, we also paid attention to such groups because we were informed that they could have made assertions to give hard time to our government. Despite this, we went ahead and defended our views. As they (Gülenists) had begun losing power within Turkey, they had increased their lobbying activities abroad.”
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‘State has always allowed religious structures’
In the indictment prepared by Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office against the Fethullah Gülen Community, there are striking comments about how the state has viewed Gülen community and other religious structures: “USA had adopted a strategy of collaboration with the ‘political Islamist’ groups in scope of the ‘green belt projects’ of the 1970’s, against the Soviets; and, that strategy had been put in force in Turkey especially by the coup governments. This policy had been a great opportunity for the Fethullah Gülen Community, which had always gave importance for holding offices within the state. Turkish state has actually always allowed religious structure. Under such policy, the state had granted the movement (Gülenists) special privileges; and, it had allowed it (Gülen community) to use all means in order to advance.”