Turkey’s government
“promotes Islamic schools at the expense of secular education. Out of
more than a million applicants to secular high schools, only 360,000
have been accepted for the 2013-2014 school year,” AsiaNews reports. “This favours the Imam Hatips, religious high schools centred on Qur'anic and Islamic studies.”
The government wants to create an obedient new generation that is in line with the Islamist vision of society, educational freedom activist, Unsal Yildiz, told the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions.
But Turkey’s Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is already weakened by the anti-government protests that swept the country in recent months, now faces another leadership crisis.
This time, his leadership is being criticised not by the opposition, but by Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, leader of the highly powerful and historically pro-government religious movement, Hizmet (which means “service” in Turkish).
Gülen’s change of stance could bring about division in the conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP), putting the prime minister in a very sticky situation.
Gülen’s movement controls professional and student associations, charities, businesses, schools, universities, radio and television stations and newspapers and has millions of members both in Turkey and abroad. Gülen, who has been in exile in the U.S. since 1999, has declared himself to be pro-human rights and the democratisation process on more than one occasion and promotes liberal Islam.
But according to his critics, hidden behind this mask of tolerance is a man who lacks transparency and a secret system of clientism, involving the infiltration of the Turkish police and judicial system. Gülen’s support has been a determining element in Erdoğan’s success from 2002 onwards. But in recent weeks, the religious leader seems to have turned his back on his long-time friend.
According to Turkish journalist Oral Çalışlar, differences between Hizmet and the government, are apparently a result of Gülen’s opposition to dialogue with the Kurds, which the government promotes.
Another reason given by Turkish newspaper Radikal (14 August issue), are “the differences in opinion within the Islamist world regarding democracy and modernisation.”
In a rare interview published on the website of U.S. monthly The Atlantic, Fethullah Gülen criticised Erdoğan’s government, saying: “It is crucial for Turkey to preserve and advance its achievements in democratization, thanks in part to its ongoing relationship with the European Union… If Turkey is indeed able to develop good diplomatic relations in the region, I believe it will be in the interest of Europe, the United States and the world. But I don't think Turkey is doing what it can toward this end at the moment.”
The first signs something had gone sour in Gülen and Erdoğan’s relationship, appeared at the end of May, when Turkish weekly Zaman - which has close ties with the Gülen movement – started publishing increasingly critical comments about the prime minister.
Pro-government news outlets interpreted this stance as a change of direction on the Gülen movement’s part. The movement was accused of fuelling the protests to make things harder for the prime minister.
Turkey’s Journalists and Writers Foundation, a group that has close links to the Gülen movement, issued a detailed statement strongly denying speculations. The statement made headlines in a number of Turkish newspapers and shows approval for the Occupy Gezi movement.
“The peaceful protests respect democracy. Our approach is no different from that of Abdullah Gül, Bulent Arinc, Nabi Avci and Idris Bal,” the statement read. These men are all AKP members and unlike the party’s leader, Erdoğan, they all showed understanding and sought mediation with demonstrators during last June’s protests.
According to Çalışlar, the support powerful Gülen movement has shown for the AKP’s moderate wing, comes as a further blow to Erdoğan’s leadership and to his presidentialist objectives and could cause a split within the AKP party.
“Local elections are important. The movement could have a determining influence over some areas and if the AKP does not win, Gülen could turn his support to Gül for the party’s leadership,” the journalist said.