Psychological Campaigns Against the Hizmet Movement

For as long as I can remember, there are always operations (or military campaigns) against the honorable Fethullah Gulen and the Hizmet movement

Though marginal, a powerful evil network has seen this movement as a phenomenon that must be annihilated for the good of Turkey. In fact, it would be more accurate to say that they want to do away with the movement for their own interests and reign rather than for any benefit to the country.

For this mentality, most of the time, reactionarysm meant the Hizmet movement. They always feared its existence. This movement was like little white stones in rice. Members of the Hizmet movement didn’t wear turbans or robes, so they couldn’t be detected and eliminated. They wore jackets and ties, and most of them were college graduates. They didn’t quite fit the reactionary stereotype.

Now, these were the real danger for the evil network. Their discourse labels the movement as “…aiming to pull the country into darkness.” Because these youths were business people, and some started to take positions in the government organizations. This was seen as infiltration. But in reality, as the movement took roots, the oligarchic structure of this evil network was being jeopardized.

In that case, something had to be done to stop this movement and prevent them from advancing.

However, there was a problem. Everything Hizmet movement did was legal and humanitarian. Schools, dormitories, scholarships were all legitimate and transparent.  There was nothing illegal. They couldn’t prosecute them for giving scholarships, opening dormitories and teaching religion with the law of the land (although, they did in the past). Moreover, parents were competing to get their children in Hizmet institutions.

Than the movement had to be portrayed as a terrorist organization and, thus be dealt with. For this reason, Fethullah Gulen was tried as the leader of a terrorist organization and rightly acquitted. We’ve seen what else they wanted to do withint this framework during the Ergenekon and Balyoz trials; I won’t go into details here.

They couldn’t finish the Hizmet movement with tanks, cannons or planting weapons in its institutions. They messed up so badly, and seen the results in the aftermath of February 28…

This evil network is utilizing more refined tactics and conducting more conscious operations. They realized that a social movement couldn’t be eliminated by their classical methods. They learned lessons from the past.

By more refined and sophisticated operations I meant psychological campaigns; they are trying new approaches. The new target is to cut the movement’s social ties to isolate it.

For that, they create clashes between the Hizmet movement and different segment of the society.

When we take a look at the near past in this context, we can see that many operations of this nature have been carried out.

Let me share the ones that come to mind in a jiffy.

You probably remember the time when some MHP deputies’ improper recordings went viral on the Internet. Whoever planned this immediately libeled the Hizmet movement for the tapes. They aimed at cutting the movement’s ties with the nationalists. Many slanders flown, campaigns started but they couldn’t produce a single evidence; all proven useless.

Another time was when the questions of KPSS exam were stolen. They try to lay the blame on the Hizmet movement for that as well in hopes that it would push young people away from the movement. Result: Fiasco!

Their biggest move was the Fenerbahce operation. According to their slanders, the movement wanted to “infiltrate the soccer club.” This idea belonged to the same brain that produced the infamous “ the movement wants to infiltrate the state institutions.” They wanted the dynamic and enthusiastic Fenerbahce fans to clash with the Hizmet movement. Some members of the media—using different connections—carried those onto TV screens. Unfortunately, some people believed that tall tale either because of their hatred for the movement or naivety. Remember how much effort they made to inject this idea into the public’s veins.

They worked really hard to convince the society to believe this absurd story. Then, the new board of Fenerbahce got elected and everyone saw what is what.

The latest attack was realized over the MIT file in the public prosecutor’s office. They tried to disseminate the fallacy that the prosecutor was a member of the Hizmet movement and that Hizmet was behind tha prosecution. Obvious target was to get the AKP government pitch against the Hizmet movement. Two birds with one stone.

I have to admit though; these operations weren’t ineffective all together. Because perpetrators knew all about psychological campaigns.

They couldn’t show a single evidence; it was impossible to bring evidence for their lies anyway. Their objective was to run a dirty psychological operation, that’s it.

This evil network probably will continue its slander campaigns; and Hizmet volunteers their services.