Kemal Karpat
Criticism of the AK Party is ruining its legacy. It is a case where they are ruining in a few years what they built over the last decade. There is still a way out of this impasse. And there is also a delicate issue here; the Gülen movement [the Hizmet movement, inspired by the Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen] issue.
Like many others, I was invited to their meetings. I have given speeches at Abant meetings. I paid visits to their schools abroad. I have seen the Gülen movement as a movement that complemented the political and economic developments in Turkey. I mean, I do not know how the movement is administered; I have no affiliation with them or any political party. But I see them as a movement that represents a popular Islam and one that pays attention to national and democratic values as well as practical solutions and the economy. I have seen it as a movement represented by a leader who has a connection with the people. Just as the AK Party is based on the popular choice, I believe that the Gülen movement also represents a popular Islam and Turkish Islam, and that it is a tolerant movement that seeks integration with the world. I have seen the AK Party and the Gülen movement as two components that complement each other. Now they are against each other. I do not know whose fault this is. The fight between two such popular movements and groups is a huge loss for Turkey. In the end, they will hurt each other. Maybe one of them will be eliminated. I do not know what happened. There are always obsessions in politics, but it is possible to fix them. This should be kept in mind. Announcing a dedication to destroying this movement is against Turkey's best interests in the long run.
Excerpt from the interview with Prof. Karpat, published on Today's Zaman, 21 July 2014, Monday
Criticism of the AK Party is ruining its legacy. It is a case where they are ruining in a few years what they built over the last decade. There is still a way out of this impasse. And there is also a delicate issue here; the Gülen movement [the Hizmet movement, inspired by the Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen] issue.
Like many others, I was invited to their meetings. I have given speeches at Abant meetings. I paid visits to their schools abroad. I have seen the Gülen movement as a movement that complemented the political and economic developments in Turkey. I mean, I do not know how the movement is administered; I have no affiliation with them or any political party. But I see them as a movement that represents a popular Islam and one that pays attention to national and democratic values as well as practical solutions and the economy. I have seen it as a movement represented by a leader who has a connection with the people. Just as the AK Party is based on the popular choice, I believe that the Gülen movement also represents a popular Islam and Turkish Islam, and that it is a tolerant movement that seeks integration with the world. I have seen the AK Party and the Gülen movement as two components that complement each other. Now they are against each other. I do not know whose fault this is. The fight between two such popular movements and groups is a huge loss for Turkey. In the end, they will hurt each other. Maybe one of them will be eliminated. I do not know what happened. There are always obsessions in politics, but it is possible to fix them. This should be kept in mind. Announcing a dedication to destroying this movement is against Turkey's best interests in the long run.
Excerpt from the interview with Prof. Karpat, published on Today's Zaman, 21 July 2014, Monday