What do they Mean by 'Gülen Media'?

by Hüseyin Gülerce, Today's Zaman Thursday, 29 May 2008 05:06

One of the core issues always being debated in Turkey is the media. The professional ethics of the press don't have any binding effect on our media, unfortunately, and some media groups blatantly implement their own self-declared principles. However, those principles are trampled, particularly by people from their own essential staff.

Some newspapers and TV stations have been bought and sold in recent years. When the new bosses did not turn out as staunchly anti-government as the greatest media tycoons of the country, they were branded "government lackeys." I wonder why the media bosses who want to have a monopoly in the media are so relentless, pugnacious and full of vengeance toward the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government and playing the key role in the country's polarization. Let's ask this in a different way. Are all the media organs, newspapers, television and radio stations, and magazines obliged to harbor grudges against the AK Party and share the Republican People's Party's (CHP) views?

Most importantly, why do they keep bringing the name of Fethullah Gülen into everything? They keep headlining claims such as "Gülen is taking hold of the media" and "Gülen media growing."

True, the Zaman Media Group (ZMG) and the Samanyolu TV Media Group are two media organs where people who love and respect Fethullah Gülen's work, and these people take his advice on education and dialogue efforts exerted both in Turkey and abroad. But please pay attention to the fact that no other media group gives as much coverage to other views and ideas as these two media groups. People of different beliefs and opinions are able to write and speak in these media groups in the most comfortable and free way. It is these two media organs that place the greatest emphasis on defending democracy, freedom, human rights, the interests of the country and our nation's fraternity, stability and peace. The words used to denigrate these two groups, such as "religion peddlers" and "followers," not only drop hints about the intellectual level of those who carry out these denigration campaigns, but also expose the disquietude of those who favor the perpetuation of the status quo.

Turkey has reached such a point that people have been forced to choose between two options: They will either opt for the reforms that will strengthen democracy, or choose to become soldiers of the status quo. They will either defend development and progress or back the guardianship efforts of the bureaucratic oligarchy. They will support either rights and the law, or Union and Progress Party-type tyrannies.

Owing to its determined stance in favor of democracy, today the AK Party is winning the support of even those segments of society that did not vote for it last year despite its mistakes and shortcomings. This support is not for the partisanship of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan or an endorsement of his personality. People give their support because they believe that we can only exit this tunnel in which we find ourselves with the AK Party. Those whose usual stance is to maintain equal distance from all political parties are acting on such a consideration today. They also display an attitude that suggests that they are protecting political and economic stability, too. The AK Party, in return for this support, is fulfilling the responsibilities that come with it. When they are doing their utmost to serve the nation, should we be hindrances and get in their way?

If the CHP changes its usual course, takes a stance against party closures and starts defending the freedoms of thought, speech and faith, people would start supporting it, too.

Mr. Gülen doesn't own a media outlet and will never own one. He is just the most beloved and respected man of action and leader of thought. Ninety percent of this nation supports the national and humanitarian services he advises. The ongoing Turkish Olympics events are an example standing right before us. Five hundred fifty students from 110 countries have been singing our folk songs and reciting our poems for days. Call this whatever you will: nationalism, humanity, whatever. Anybody with sound judgment and a conscience would be moved by these services. Mr. Gülen is the person who initiated the dialogue effort in this country. He has so far established dialogue with a large number of Turkey's prominent journalists, writers, artists and businessmen. He sat with them, ate with them and spoke with them. Now, if any of those people comes forward a couple of steps more and becomes the editor-in-chief of a newspaper, will he be immediately branded as a "Gülenist"? How could anybody perpetrate this type of pigeonholing?

The moment we decide to implement the principles of this profession in our media instead of insulting and denigrating one another, we will have done a great favor to media bosses and this country.