Officer exposes how Gülenist terror cult trained him to hide
Testimony of an officer arrested after the Gülenist Terror Group's (FETÖ) July 15 coup attempt illustrates how the purportedly religious group exploits religion for a political agenda of seizing power in Turkey. Lt. Ahmet Ç., arrested in the central city of Sivas following the attempted coup that killed hundreds, related how the cult established a foothold in the army, one of many institutions infiltrated by members.
In his testimony published by Yeni Şafak daily, Ahmet Ç. says that senior cult members trained him and other would-be cadets to pass admission interviews for the military school. Although for decades, military schools have seen Gülenist influence, which led to those critical of the cult expelled on trumped-up charges, the lieutenant says Gülenists were cautious not to draw the suspicion of non-Gülenist interviewers. "They instructed me to tell the interviewers that I was a social drinker and was not a practicing Muslim." The army is known as a stronghold of Turkey's secular elite, and officers who are seen to practice their religion, such as attending congregational prayers or abstaining from alcohol, have long been victims of blacklisting.
Gülenists are believed to have a following among medical officers in the army. Ahmet Ç. said his family opposed his joining the military despite FETÖ insistence, and he deliberately failed a medical eyesight examination. "Despite this, I was approved. The admission of many other cadets were not approved, even though I knew they did not have any health problems. [Gülenist]-linked medical officers made up excuses, previously undiagnosed health conditions, so that the cadets they did not want at the school would be turned down."
Ahmet Ç. said that like other members of the cult, he was assigned a code name, Ali. "I occasionally met with members of the cult, and those meetings were held in utmost secrecy. We were not allowed to use landlines to call each other, and they always called me from phone booths. We met in secret places and hid each other's cellphone numbers. We used to assign codewords to each other's phone numbers to avoid detection."
The lieutenant said the cult barred him and other cadets from establishing any open connection with other Gülenists. "For instance, we were not allowed to open an account with Bank Asya (a Gülen-linked bank), read (Gülenist) newspapers and magazines, or to have any friend or relative attend a (Gülenist-run) school."
In his testimony published by Yeni Şafak daily, Ahmet Ç. says that senior cult members trained him and other would-be cadets to pass admission interviews for the military school. Although for decades, military schools have seen Gülenist influence, which led to those critical of the cult expelled on trumped-up charges, the lieutenant says Gülenists were cautious not to draw the suspicion of non-Gülenist interviewers. "They instructed me to tell the interviewers that I was a social drinker and was not a practicing Muslim." The army is known as a stronghold of Turkey's secular elite, and officers who are seen to practice their religion, such as attending congregational prayers or abstaining from alcohol, have long been victims of blacklisting.
Gülenists are believed to have a following among medical officers in the army. Ahmet Ç. said his family opposed his joining the military despite FETÖ insistence, and he deliberately failed a medical eyesight examination. "Despite this, I was approved. The admission of many other cadets were not approved, even though I knew they did not have any health problems. [Gülenist]-linked medical officers made up excuses, previously undiagnosed health conditions, so that the cadets they did not want at the school would be turned down."
Ahmet Ç. said that like other members of the cult, he was assigned a code name, Ali. "I occasionally met with members of the cult, and those meetings were held in utmost secrecy. We were not allowed to use landlines to call each other, and they always called me from phone booths. We met in secret places and hid each other's cellphone numbers. We used to assign codewords to each other's phone numbers to avoid detection."
The lieutenant said the cult barred him and other cadets from establishing any open connection with other Gülenists. "For instance, we were not allowed to open an account with Bank Asya (a Gülen-linked bank), read (Gülenist) newspapers and magazines, or to have any friend or relative attend a (Gülenist-run) school."
Last Update: August 17, 2016 22:31