Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen to stop acts of provocation against Turkey.

“I was naive. I used my best endeavors to support him (Gulen),” Erdogan said during an election rally in Turkey’s southwestern city of Isparta, referring to his former alignment with the cleric.
“Two years ago, I asked him to return to Turkey. He did not. I ask him again. If you’re honest and sincere, stop stirring up this country,” Erdogan said at the rally.
Gulen’s Hizmet (Service) movement was a main supporter of Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) when it came to power 11 years ago.

The alliance, however, shattered after dozens of Erdogan’s political and business allies were arrested in police raids in a graft probe in December 2013.

On December 25, 2013, Erdogan announced a major cabinet reshuffle, replacing 10 ministers, including the economy, interior, and environment ministers, who had resigned from their posts after their sons were arrested in the scandal.

Erdogan has accused the supporters of Gulen in the police and judiciary of having made up the accusations in the corruption case and has responded with firing hundreds of prosecutors and police officers.

On February 28, the Turkish parliament passed a bill to close down thousands of private schools, most of them run by Gulen’s movement.

Some 4,000 private schools in the country are run by Gulen and are considered a major source of income for his movement.

The network of schools must be closed by September 1, 2015 under the legislation, which is one of the sources of friction between Erdogan’s AKP and Gulen’s Hizmet.

“They are going to lose $1 billion annual income (from the schools). That’s why they are going mad,” Erdogan said.

By Press TV

 

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