Islamic Political Identity in Turkey

notes to pages 199–204 307leftists criticized Gülen as a U.S. agent; for the accusation of 8lhan Selçuk thatFethullah is an American agent, see Cumhuriyet, February 19, 1995.65. Mustafa Kaplan, an ex-Alevi and convert to be the Nurcu, sharply criticizesGülen in Cumhuriyet, August 26, 1996.66. Interview with Gülen by Oral Çalì7lar, Aktüel Para, September 15, 1996,22–23.67. Interview with Gülen by Özkök, Hürriyet, January 28, 1995.68. Interview with Gülen by Nuriye Akman in Sabah, January 27, 1995.69. Interview with Gülen by Akman in Sabah, January 27, 1995.70. Interview with Gülen by Akman in Sabah, January 27, 1995.71. Interview with Gülen by 6emseddin Nuri before the general elections in1991, Zaman, October 18, 1991.72. Gülen, “Milli Öfke,” Ça: ve Nesil IV: Zamanìn Altìn Dilimi, 146–49.73. Interview with Gülen by Latif Erdo;an, Zaman, March 14, 1994. For moreabout his call to become a regional power see “Çare insan ve kültür,” Zaman,November 5, 1993.74. Can, Ufuk Turu, 34.75. For the summary of Gülen‘s interview on D-TV, see “Beceremediniz artìkgidiniz,” Hürriyet, April 18, 1997.76. My interview with Sezgin Koçak in Konya, May 12, 1994.77. Fethullah Gülen, Ho7görü ve Diyalog 8klimi (Istanbul: Merkur Yayìncìlìk,1998).78. “Diyalog için cesur adìm,” Aksiyon, April 13–19, 1996.79. “Fethullah Gülen Met with Pope John Paul II,” Turkish Times, March 1,1998.80. My interview with Gülen, Philadephia, October 12, 2000.81. Gülen gave an interview to Yalçìn Do:an on D-TV and sharply criticizedErbakan—the RP leader—and political Islam. He called on the Erbakan-led governmentto resign; see “Hocaefendi’den güncel yorumlar,” Zaman, April 16, 1997.82. For more on the shortcomings of Gülen’s position on democracy, see GülayGöktürk,”Devletin inayetiyle,” Sabah, June 25, 1999.83. For more on the media attack, see Milliyet, June 21–28, 1999; Sabah, June21–29, 1999; Turkish Daily News, June 21, 1999.84. For more on the speech of Kìvrìko;lu, see Milliyet, August 31, 2000.85. For the court documents, see the Wle of 2000/124, Second State SecurityCourt in Ankara.86. Çetin Özek, “Hukuksal Görü7,” April 4, 2001, in the Wle of 2000/124 of theSecond State Security Court in Ankara, 10. I thank the court for providing alldocuments for my review.87. Özek, “Hukuksal Görü7,” 10.88. For more on the court case, see Zaman, June 21–27, 1999.89. My interviews with state security oYcers in Ankara, June 15, 1999.90. Ru7en Çakìr, “Fethullah’ì Kullanìp Attìlar,” Milliyet, June 26, 1999.91. My interview with Gülen, Philadelphia, October 12, 2000. He said: “byvisiting the States and many other European countries, I realized the virtues and therole of religion in these societies. Islam Xourishes in America and Europe muchbetter than in many Muslim countries. This means freedom and the rule of law arenecessary for personal Islam. Moreover, Islam does not need the state to survive butrather needs educated and Wnancially rich communities to Xourish. In a way, not thestate but rather community is needed under a full democratic system.”