Q: What is your position on this coup attempt and the claims that you are involved in this?
Fethullah Gulen: I condemn and reject any coup whatsoever. I deplore and reject any coup attempt as well. I would raise my arms and would stop them saying that “this is a dead-end”, even against considerations of a coup, as the famous Turkish poet Necip Fazil said… This has always has been my general attitude; and my attitude will never change. If even the people who would like to drink my blood would come to the power through democratic elections, I would never consider or approve them being taken down through anti-democratic ways and methods. I do not and will never consider or approve such an attempt. Even if they [those elected] would drink my blood, I would go among people who are trying to bring them down and raise my arms and tell them this is dead-end.
Tags: Democracy | Military coups in Turkey | Turkey |Related Articles
Is Fethullah Gülen a Threat to Democracy?
The importance of the ideas that the state favours — democracy, secularism and modernization — is recognized by Fethullah Gülen and he says he supports them. Why then…
Diversity and Dialogue as Indispensable Prerequisites of Democracy in Gülen’s Thought
LEONID R. SYKIAINEN* Compatibility between Islamic and modern democratic liberal values is not more than theoretical ground to combine the both for success of political reforms in the…
A Comparative Approach to Islam and Democracy
If we want to analyze religion, democracy, or any other system or philosophy accurately, we should focus on humanity and human life. From this perspective, religion in general…