Should I not visit Turkey due to the political climate?

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MonsterCrack
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20 Nov 2015, 4:45 pm

Due to the persecution of Gulen movement members in Turkey? I have relatives there.. My dad says, since he is a high profile member of the movement, if he goes to Turkey, he'll get arrested.... but what about my mom? Muhammed Fethullah Gulen urged members of his movement in Turkey to flee to Africa...
you can read about it here...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mahir-zey ... 91816.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BClen_movement
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fethullah_G%C3%BClen



naturalplastic
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20 Nov 2015, 6:40 pm

Write/call your family and ask them how safe it is.

But you're right that it doesnt sound like a good time over there to be associated with Gulen movement to me.

But to change the subject slightly: thats sad news that Turkey is turning repressive. The Gulen movement (all I know about it is what I just read on Wiki) seems to be nonviolent. Neither violently subversive nor terroristic so anyone arrested for connection to it is a political prisoner. No justification for the repression of it in a democracy.

Further- the Gulen movement (imperfect as it may be) sounds like just what the Middle East needs- a political brand of Islam that is allied to the future and not to the past: and that is okay with democracy, capitalism, and interfaith dialogue. A possible alternative to Salafism/Wahabism.