CHP leader Özel calls dismissal of education minister after promise on religious cults

Turkish main opposition CHP leader Özgür Özel has called on President Erdoğan to dismiss Education Minister Yusuf Tekin who said the ministry would continue collaborating with Islamic cults in 2024. Özel reminded Erdoğan and AKP’s previous relation with the Gülen network, which is the group widely believed to have orchestrated the July 15, 2016 failed coup attempt.

Tuesday December 19 2023 11:25 am

Duvar English

Turkish main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel on Dec. 18 called on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to dismiss Education Minister Yusuf Tekin following his promise on religious cults.

In a social media post, Özel said the minister “challenges the Constitution from the parliamentary rostrum,” while commenting on Tekin’s remarks that the ministry would uphold the protocols it has with Islamic cults and organizations in 2024,

“Those who made protocols with FETÖ in the past have not learned any lessons from the pain they inflicted on this country,” Özel said, referring to the Gülenists, which is the group widely believed to have orchestrated the July 15, 2016 failed coup attempt.

“Tayyip Erdoğan, if you do not dismiss this minister, you are the reason,” Özel added.

Geçmişte devletle FETÖ arasında protokol yapanlar, bu ülkeye yaşattıkları acılardan hiç ders çıkarmamış.

Tarikat ve cemaatlerle protokol yapmaya devam edeceklerini söyleyen Milli Eğitim Bakanı, Meclis kürsüsünden Anayasa’ya meydan okuyor.

Tayyip Erdoğan, bu Bakanı görevden…
— Özgür Özel (@eczozgurozel) December 18, 2023

Speaking during the Parliamentary budget meetings, Tekin stated that the Ministry had 2,709 protocols in total, ten of which were made with Islamic cults and organizations they define as non-governmental organizations.

“We have at most ten protocols with NGOs you like to call religious cults and organizations, and we will continue these protocols,” Tekin said and thanked the organizations they have collaborated with.

The Gülen movement, which is officially called the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), is an ally-turned-foe of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Their ties were strained in 2013 following a graft probe.