Erdogan's Civil Death Project

Toward the end of the last century, the Hizmet Movement emerged in Turkish society as a major proponent of civil society. “Hizmet,” also known as the Gülen Movement after its spiritual teacher Fethullah Gülen, achieved prominent recognition for its educational and multicultural work in Türkiye and elsewhere in the world. Hizmet, with its broad spiritual base, entrepreneurial prowess, moral compass, savvy media use, community service (schools, hospitals, and humanitarian work), and global reach, posed a political and social challenge to the Erdoğan regime’s growing autocracy and evermore evident corruption. Erdoğan came to view Hizmet as his nemesis that roadblocked his march toward authoritarian rule. Because Hizmet called into question their unethical values and anti-democratic maneuvers, Erdoğan and AKP moved to isolate, denigrate, marginalize, dismantle, and suppress Hizmet. This included oppressing anyone opposing the government as associated with the “Movement,” even if they were not, as a way of being rid of them, too. Following the shadowy 2016 coup attempt, the government radically escalated its systemic oppression with mass arrests and detentions, initiating a lawless process that suppressed fundamental human rights like freedom, security, and the right to a fair trial as state policy, sidelining international law and Türkiye’s internal law. This book makes the case for a regime politicide project against Hizmet in violation of both international law and Turkish law.