On April 16, Turkey held a referendum vote that would drastically change the political landscape of the country. The referendum, put forward by Turkey’s two main political parties, proposed 18 new amendments to the constitution. The referendum would also abolish the role of prime minister and remove key oversight powers from the legislature.
One of the most drastic changes this referendum would bring about is the consolidation of the current president’s power, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It would allow him to run for office for two more terms, potentially placing him as a powerful executive until the year 2029.
The referendum passed, only by a very slight margin. 51.4 percent of the electorate voted in favor of the referendum, with 48.6 percent voting against. The voting was highly questionable, with rumors of ballot stuffing and election fraud running rampant throughout the country.
This comes at the heels of a failed coup attempt that happened last summer. The coup marked a significant shift in Turkish politics, in that it gave Erdogan an excuse to crack down on dissent and go after any opponents threatening the government. Those on the receiving end of Erdogan’s crackdown are mostly Kurdish forces and those involved -- or perceived to be involved -- in the Hizmet movement.
Although there is speculation regarding who was behind the failed coup, Erdogan and others blame the Hizmet movement and its leader for attempting the coup.
But what is the Hizmet movement? Who is its mysterious leader?
The Hizmet movement is led by Fetullah Gulen, a Turkish muslim preacher who has lived in the United States on a self-imposed exile since 1999. Gulen is seen as Erdogan’s principal political opponent.
Hizmet directly translates to “the Service,” and looks to promote Gulen’s teachings and political influence. The Gulen movement is seen as a modern-oriented Islamist movement. According to a profile by the BBC, the Gulen movement promotes altruism, hard work and education. The Gulen movement has very pro-capitalist, pro-entrepreneur goals. Instead of building Islamist mosques, schools should be built. The Hizmet movement is as much a business network as it is a religious movement.
The Hizmet movement is not confined to Turkey, however. Gulen has links all over the world, from Ethiopia to Malaysia, from New Jersey to Pakistan. Although there is not an official membership to the Hizmet movement, those involved seek to fulfill Gulen’s goals.
The Hizmet movement has links to businesses all over the world, including media organizations and other professional associations, many of which have been shut down by the Turkish government after the attempted coup in response to the allegations. The most significant influence by Gulen and his Hizmet movement, however, has been the network of charter schools throughout the world, including in the United States.
In the United States, charter schools are schools that are taxpayer funded, but are privately run. Not all charter schools in the U.S. are homogenous. A 2013 report by CREDO stated charter school quality is uneven across the country. Throughout the U.S., only a handful of charter schools have unionized teachers, and as Slate and The Investigative Fund reported, charter schools actively seek to union bust.
It is supposed that the Gulen movement has charter schools throughout the U.S. -- and the world. Although the exact number of Gulen schools is unclear, many rumors about the schools are not exactly positive. They are typically run by Turkish immigrants, seeking to fulfill the Islamic cleric’s teachings.
Hizmet-linked schools throughout the world differ in practice and outcome, even though most focus on Gulen principles -- education, the betterment of students and a focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education. In the U.S., estimates show there are between 130 and 167 Gulen-linked charter schools in 26 states. All over the world, there are approximately more than 1,000 Gulen schools.
Some schools throughout the world have fallen in turmoil. Earlier this year, there was an attempt to transfer Gulen schools in Ethiopia to other hands. A Gulen school’s principal in Malaysia was abducted earlier this month. After the coup attempt, Gulen schools in Turkey were shut down by Erdogan’s government. Various blogs have accused the Gulen schools of having underhanded agendas with political ambitions, both in Turkey and internationally.
The movement and its schools lack transparency. As a 60 Minutes investigation pointed out, there are questionable practices related to the Gulen schools, including potential immigration work visas given for Turkish Gulen followers in order to leave Turkey and continue spreading Hizmet goals.
In the U.S., a Gulen school in New Jersey was accused of fraud when attempting to open up.
There is Turkish pressure on the U.S. to shut down Gulen schools. As CBS News reported, there is a current investigation by the FBI to see if the schools are being used to funnel money to promote Gulen’s political goals in Turkey.
Under Trump’s administration, it is questionable whether the Hizmet movement will continue operations in the U.S., or whether they will be stopped. Michael Flynn, the Trump administration’s former national security advisor, was accused by a former CIA director of having discussed with Turkish officials to extradite Gulen from the U.S. However, Betsy DeVos, Trump’s Secretary of Education is a huge proponent of charter schools, seeking to promote private-public education institutions. It is unknown what the future of the Gulen movement holds in the U.S.
For this reason -- and for the harsh accusations by Erdogan that Gulen and his followers attempted the coup last year -- the Hizmet movement has been relatively quiet. Over 9,000 Turkey police officers were arrested and suspended by Erdogan’s government two weeks ago, for allegedly having links to Gulen.
The Gulen-linked charter schools deny any connection to the muslim cleric and his movement. The crackdown of anything and anyone linked to Gulen and the Hizmet movement by Erdogan is important to note. It has added cause to a muted silence and denial of being linked to Gulen, for fear of retribution.