20-07-2016, 11:07 PM
There was a very informative BBC News Hour on NPR today about Erdogan and Gulen. (I wish there was a link for it so I wouldn't have to rely on memory.) Erdogan's US lawyer says he's published proof that Gulen is laundering money and bribing public officials here in the US to avoid investigation or prosecution; apparently the State of Oklahoma (at least) made official findings adverse to Gulen about his network of schools. The money laundering the lawyer talks about sounds similar to "zakat," a common Muslim practice, but the US Government has suggested that "zakat" also funds terrorist activities. The alleged "bribery", giving "awards" and "trips" to legislators, sounds like "politics as usual" for the corporations and the 1% to me. Still there could be something more there. Even if all that is proven, however, it doesn't demonstrate that Gulen incited the "coup."
On the other hand, the government of Erdogan has corruption issues of its own. Which apparently Gulen had a hand in bringing to light. The scope of the sweeps, including thousands of civilian arrests, and suspending secondary school teachers' permits, etc., doesn't really look to be a legitimate security response to the "coup" that lasted mere hours and caused remarkably little damage. Neither party sounded fundamentally interested in "democracy" or even "what's good for Turkey" to me.
It does sound like Erdogan is afraid of a large swathe of his populace; and if he didn't have reason to fear them before, after taking their jobs and arresting them, he probably will now.
On the other hand, the government of Erdogan has corruption issues of its own. Which apparently Gulen had a hand in bringing to light. The scope of the sweeps, including thousands of civilian arrests, and suspending secondary school teachers' permits, etc., doesn't really look to be a legitimate security response to the "coup" that lasted mere hours and caused remarkably little damage. Neither party sounded fundamentally interested in "democracy" or even "what's good for Turkey" to me.
It does sound like Erdogan is afraid of a large swathe of his populace; and if he didn't have reason to fear them before, after taking their jobs and arresting them, he probably will now.
"All that is necessary for tyranny to succeed is for good men to do nothing." (unknown)
James Tracy: "There is sometimes an undue amount of paranoia among some conspiracy researchers that can contribute to flawed observations and analysis."
Gary Cornwell (Dept. Chief Counsel HSCA): "A fact merely marks the point at which we have agreed to let investigation cease."
Alan Ford: "Just because you believe it, that doesn't make it so."
James Tracy: "There is sometimes an undue amount of paranoia among some conspiracy researchers that can contribute to flawed observations and analysis."
Gary Cornwell (Dept. Chief Counsel HSCA): "A fact merely marks the point at which we have agreed to let investigation cease."
Alan Ford: "Just because you believe it, that doesn't make it so."