Equating all NGOs to FETO 'not right': Turkey's Gormez

By Aynur Ekiz

ANKARA

Turkey’s top cleric has said equating all religious nongovernmental organizations in the country to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) would “not be right”.

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Gormez, head of the Religious Affairs Directorate, told Anadolu Agency that holding meetings with nongovernmental organizations that contribute towards religious education and services in the country were part of the directorate’s agenda.

Gormez said the meetings were aimed at preventing harm in the aftermath of the July 15 defeated coup and to prevent any possible mistakes about religion by cooperating with these nongovernmental organizations.

"It is not right to evaluate any of the structures [NGOs] that serve sincerely in the most difficult times of the nation over the betrayal of FETO, and it is necessary that every structure that aims to provide religious education and religious services should question itself.

"Voluntary organizations must [carefully] observe their politics and trade relations as well as their relations in the international arena and must be sincere about how they have present themselves to the society," he said.

He said the directorate was holding talks with not only religious sects and communities, but also with all the legal entities contributing to religious education and religious services in Turkey.

Gormez said some of the questions the directorate was tackling include: "how can we ensure that the structures delivering religious service and religious education will stay within the framework they have promised?", and "can we find a better solution with an internal control without interfering with their autonomy?"

Led by U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen, FETO is accused of orchestrating the July 15 coup plot in Turkey as well as being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

The July 15 defeated coup left 248 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Reporting by Aynur Ekiz;Writing by Sibel Ugurlu