Gulen movement official denies they want to assimilate Kurds

14-2-2014 – Research Turkey – In Turkey the opposition parties in Grand National Assembly today try not to drop the corruption operations and claims out of the agenda, and these issues are discussed. At this point, in an unusual way, the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) is not forcing as much as other opposition parties about the corruption cases, and even seems to claim that these operations target the peace process and stand by Ak Party. But they criticise cemaat, the Gülen Movement. In the case of KCK (Koma Civakên Kurdistan-Group of Communities in Kurdistan) they made declarations accusing the Hizmet. During Gezi Protests the administrators of BDP did not support, and were criticized at the beginning but three months later they announced that they regretted their suspicious and reluctant position. How do you evaluate the position of BDP? It is claimed that there is a serious competition between BDP and Gülen Movement in Eastern Turkey?

As far as I see, the BDP is aware of institutional structure of Hizmet and that there are educational programs in Eastern Turkey, and it is disturbed by this. However, the Hizmet never had the aim or intention of assimilation. As I said earlier, the main concern is protection of local culture. The most part of our schools are composed of people who were raised there such as principals, teachers. The staff is generally from there. I think their main concern is that the educated people cannot be directed or used. The PKK fears that it will not be able to take educated people to mountains, hills, caves to fight. Therefore, they think that if the institutions there are got rid off then they will have no competition. But it must be acknowledged that if Hizmet was not accepted and embraced by the people it could have not survived. Hizmet keeps existing there with hundreds of institutions for 20-30 years. In Northern Iraq, commonly referred to as Kurdistan by the Kurdish people, there are 30 schools, universities of the Hizmet, and Kurdish people living there support those schools so much that I have never seen such serious support in any other country. Because they are aware how much these schools contribute to their future. These persons could not realise the importance of education because they are in the mountains, when they get off the mountains they will realize. If they come and open schools we can support them too. – Researchturkey.org