Forward by Charter School Watchdog
http://www.charterschoolwatchdog.com/ "Tit for Tat"
On February 2, 2015, a group of 88 US Congress Representatives signed a group letter addressed to US Secretary of State John Kerry, complaining about the unfair treatment of Turkish media members by the Turkish government. The letter accused the Turkish government of attempting to “intimidate, arrest, and smother voices opposed to the government -- threatening Turkish democracy.” Likewise, the letter called for “transparency and tolerance” by government agencies with respect to free press.
I suspect that the primary authors of this letter had considerable help from some of the sameTurkish “intimidators” that they are now defending -- Gulenist lobbyists whose organization for years has notoriously contributed to human rights violations.
And now the shoe is on the other foot -- theirs.
For years and through their massive infiltration into Turkey’s government, courts, military, media, and police force, the Gulenists have manipulated pretty much any public entity possible – including the media. The Gulenists own some of the largest media companies in Turkey and as such, have been allowed to arbitrarily malign and discredit reputable citizens who oppose or question their distorted and narrow ideologies. And now they cry foul because the Turkish government has decided to take back its country – sans the Gulenists and their corruptive policies.
Okay, that’s a problem for Turkey – but the bigger problem here is that we have United States Congressional Representatives defending a group of criminals who not only have corrupted the political infrastructure in Turkey, but have likewise amassed a criminal empire here in the United States. The US Representatives are by proxy complicit in these underhanded activities when they accept Gulenist campaign contributions and free trips to Turkey.
The Turkish newspaper, The Daily Sabah, investigated the signatories of the Kerry letter, and found some interesting facts. Specifically, the paper reported 49% of the US Congressional Representatives that signed the letter had accepted Gulenist campaign contributions and free trips to Turkey.
Now that leads to the question – why?
Why for instance would the Gulenist lobby pay at least $180,000 for our US Congress Representatives to travel to Turkey? And according to The Daily Sabah, reports from the “The U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC) in 2013 and 2014, showed that individuals affiliated with the Gülen Movement donated a total of $241,000 in 2013 and 2014 to 25 congressmen who signed the letter.”
Sure seems like a simple case of a “tit for tat,” or a “We gave you money and trips and now you sign the letter -- etc. ” strategy.
Interestingly, many of the Representative recipients of the Gulenists’ generosity are from states that host a significant number of the US publicly funded Gulenist charter schools.
For as much as the American taxpayers shell out in salaries for Congressional Representatives, I would like to believe that the people that we are paying to represent our interests (and those of our students), would actually do a little basic research on the very people that they are so eagerly and blindly accepting gratuities from -- before and not after - they stuff their fists with cash and their mouths with baklava.
Below are The Daily Sabah links and articles that provide more specific details:
http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2015/02/09/gulen-movement-woos-us-congressmen-with-campaign-donations-and-free-trips
By RAGIP SOYLU, published on February 9, 2015 in The Daily Sabah
Gülen Movement woos US congressmen with campaign donations and free trips
“The Gülen Movement arranged all-expense-paid trips to Turkey and made campaign donations to 43 of the 88 U.S. congressmen, who in turn signed a template letter sent to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, claiming that media outlets linked to the movement were under pressure in Turkey.
The Gülen Movement, headed by Fethullah Gülen who resides in Pennsylvania in self-imposed exile, owns hundreds of schools around the world, dozens of media organs and other businesses and is accused of infiltrating key state institutions, including the police and judiciary, to wage a campaign against anyone it perceives as an opponent. Gülenist operatives in the U.S. sent several template letters to congressmen, who in turn were urged to forward them to Kerry to apply pressure on the Turkish government.
The congressional sponsors of the letter, which was forwarded on February 2, asked Kerry to take action against Turkey, claiming that Gülen-affiliated media organs were under crackdown. However, an investigation has revealed that the sponsors and almost half of the signatories had benefited from all-expense paid trips organized by several U.S.-based organizations of the movement or received campaign donations through Gülen affiliates. Arizona Republican Representative Matt Salmon, the main sponsor of the letter, was brought to Istanbul and Kayseri provinces in Turkey April 11-19 last year by the Arizona-based Foundation for Inter-Cultural Dialogue (FICD), which belongs to Gülenists. Salmon visited several businessmen and various media organs linked to the Gülen Movement during the trip, which according to congressional records cost $12,000.
The assistant of another sponsor, Missouri Democratic Representative Emanuel Cleaver, visited Istanbul March 14-22 last year, which was paid for by the Turkic-American Alliance (TAA). The TAA is known to conduct lobbying activities on behalf of the movement in Congress. Cleaver's assistant met journalists, businessmen and politicians affiliated with the movement during the trip, which cost $2,610.
Congressional records reveal that 26 congressmen or their aides benefited from the largesse of the Gülen Movement in 2013 and 2014, and all involved signed the letter sent to Kerry, which criticized both Turkey and Azerbaijan. Visits were paid for by TAA sub-branches and other U.S.-based Gülenist organizations, such as the Pacifica Institute.
The movement spent over $180,000 for such trips. The TAA, which was founded in 2010, is currently fed by various U.S. businesses linked to the movement to conduct lobbying activities. TAA Chairman Faruk Taban is known for his efforts to engage representatives and senators for support. Sources close to Congress told Daily Sabah that the movement employed the Armenian and Israel lobby in Congress to persuade the other signatories, who had not directly enjoyed free trips.
According to figures released by the U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC) in 2013 and 2014, individuals affiliated with the Gülen Movement donated a total of $241,000 in 2013 and 2014 to 25 congressmen who signed the letter. Donations were mostly made by executives of pro-Gülenist institutions and companies and administrators of Charter Schools, which have been criticized for being privately run but publicly funded educational institutions. Gülenists donated a total of $43,500 to Henry Cuellar, a Democratic representative from Texas, in the past two years. Also in Texas, where the group has a strong presence, Democratic representatives Al Green and Sheila Jackson Lee received $46,000 and $23,000, respectively.
Members of the movement also utilize Super PACs, which are nearly impossible to monitor, to gain influence in the U.S. Congress. According to 2012 and 2013 figures, Gülen schools have around 60,000 pupils in the U.S. and receive an average of $10,608 in state funding per student. The annual sum of public funding for the 130 Gülen schools, with names such as Cosmos, Pioneer, Harmony, Magnolia and Horizon, total $636.48 million. These funds are then used by affiliated companies so that the movement profits from both schools and business activities. Gülenist contractors are used to build and equip schools and teachers who are members of the movement and brought over from Turkey with special visas. These teachers hand over most of their wages to the movement.”
Visits of congressmen or their representatives
1-Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ)
04/11/14-04/19/14 Foundation for Inter-Cultural Dialogue Istanbul, Kayseri, Turkey - Met with Turkish government officials and journalists; visited historical sites. $12,315.00
2-Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Missouri, 5th)
Privately Financed Travel Shapiro, Jennifer G.
03/14/14-03/22/14 Turkic American Alliance Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey - Met with various journalists, politicians, businessmen and U.S. government officials to discuss the $2,617.30
3-Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Illinois, 1st)
Marshall, John P.
05/24/13-06/01/13 Turkish American Federation of Midwest Ankara, Turkey
Participated in a staff delegation to Turkey and Azerbaijan; met with government officials, business $4,397.00
Watkins, Stanley (Stan)
04/18/14-04/26/14 Pacifica Institute Ankara, TurkeyCultural Mecca - Cappadocia, Turkey - ... more
Met with Turkish government officials; toured historical sites; met with religious leaders $2,025.0
4-Rep. Danny Davis (D-Illinois, 7th)
Davis, Rep. Danny (D-IL)
05/27/13-05/30/13 Turkish American Federation of Midwest Baku, Azerbaijan
Attended meetings with politicians and government officials to discuss energy-related policies $24,084.00
Brown, Lavell P.
05/25/13-06/01/13 Turkish American Federation of Midwest Ankara, Turkey
Participated in a staff delegation to Turkey and Azerbaijan; met with government officials, business... more $3,607.00
5-Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas, 28th)
Margowsky, Miranda K.
10/17/14-10/25/14 Turkish American Federation of Midwest Istanbul, Turkey - Ankara, Turkey
Toured local universities and newspapers; visited historic sites; met with U.S. and Turkish government... $3,307.17 Travieso, Amy A.
05/24/13-05/31/13 Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasians Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey - ... more
Participated in U.S. congressional delegation trip to Turkey and Azerbaijan; attended briefings; met... more $5,290.00
Cuellar, Rep. Henry (D-TX)
01/06/13-01/13/13 Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasians Istanbul, Turkey - Baku, Azerbaijan
Participated in a congressional delegation to Turkey and Azerbaijan; visited cultural and historic s... more $26,145.26
6- Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Illinois, 3rd)
Day, Jason O.
10/17/14-10/25/14 Turkish American Federation of Midwest Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey
Toured local universities and newspapers; visited historic sites; met with U.S. and Turkish government... $3,307.17
7-Rep. Jackie Speier (D-California, 14th)
Hashemi, Cookab Vontenc
04/18/14-04/26/14 Pacifica Institute Ankara, Turkey - Cappadocia, Turkey - ...
Met with Turkish government officials; toured historical sites; met with religious leaders $2,025.00
Ryan, Erin M.
12/13/13-12/22/13 Pacifica Institute Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey
Visited historic and religious sites; met with Turkish officials $4,725.00
8-Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-North Carolina, 1st)
Hernandez, Saul Z.
04/27/13-05/05/13 Mid-Atlantic Federation of Turkic American Associations Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey - ...
Participated in congressional trip to Turkey; met with academics, government officials, local citizens... $2,580.00
9-Rep. Lacy Clay (D-Missouri, 1st)
Jamry, Pauline Margaret
05/09/14-05/17/14 Turkish American Federation of Midwest Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey - ... more
Met Turkish doctors, businessmen, journalists, politicians and educators. $3,667.6
10-Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas, 18th)
Jackson Lee, Rep. Sheila (D-TX)
05/27/13-05/30/13 Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasians Baku, Azerbaijan
Participated in U.S. congressional delegation trip to Turkey and Azerbaijan; attended briefings; met... $12,033.90
11-Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D-Illinois, 4th)
Paucar, Theresa
08/22/14-08/30/14 Turkish American Federation of Midwest Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey
Met with government officials and Turkish civilians to discuss U.S.-Turkish relations; visited histo... more $3,576.64
12-Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Kentucky, 2nd)
Miller, Joel Glen
04/18/14-04/27/14 Mid-Atlantic Federation of Turkic American Associations Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey
Met with Turkish officials regarding U.S.-Turkey relations $2,580.00
13-Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio, 6th)
Orth, Patrick F. (Pat)
03/14/14-03/22/14 Turkic American Alliance Ankara, TurkeyCultural Mecca - Istanbul, Turkey - ...
Met with various journalists, politicians, businessmen and U.S. government officials to discuss the ... $2,617.30
14-Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Arizona, 4th)
Van Flein, Thomas V. (Tom)
12/13/13-12/22/13 Pacifica Institute Ankara, Turkey - Ephesus, Turkey - ... more
Visited historic and religious sites; met with Turkish officials $4,700.00
15-Rep. Filemon Vela (D-Texas, 34th)
Brody, Perry Finney
04/18/14-04/26/14 Pacifica Institute Ankara, Turkey - Cappadocia, Turkey - ... more
Met with Turkish government officials; toured historical sites; met with religious leaders
16-Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-OK)
Bridenstine, Rep. Jim (R-OK)
05/26/13-05/31/13 Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasians Baku, Azerbaijan
Participated in U.S. Congressional Delegation Trip to Azerbaijan; attended briefings; met with gover... more $14,172.70
17-Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-Louisiana, 2nd)
Butterworth, Austin Zach (Zach)
05/24/13-06/02/13 Turkic American Alliance Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey - ... more
Met with local business, political and non-governmental leaders and associations $4,055.00
18-Rep. George Holding (R-North Carolina, 13th)
Knott, Joseph Tucker (Tucker)
04/18/14-04/27/14 Mid-Atlantic Federation of Turkic American Associations Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey - ... more
Met with Turkish officials regarding U.S.-Turkey relations $2,580.00
19-Rep. John J. Duncan (R-Tennessee, 2nd)
Black, David D.
05/25/13-05/30/13 Turkic American Federation of the Southeast Baku, Azerbaijan - Istanbul, Turkey
Met with national politicians from Turkey and Azerbaijan, as well as business leaders and local citi... more $2,655.00
20-Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Michigan, 5th)
Nienberg, Troy M.
08/22/14-08/30/14 Turkish American Federation of Midwest Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey
Met with government officials and Turkish civilians to discuss U.S.-Turkish relations; visited histo... more $3,565.6
21-Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Alabama, 5th)
Vandiver, Lauren K.
05/24/13-06/02/13 Turkic American Alliance Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey - ... more
Met with local business, political and non-governmental leaders and associations $4,055.00
22-Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-California, 32nd)
Chao, Daniel See
04/18/14-04/26/14 Pacifica Institute Istanbul, Turkey - Cappadocia, Turkey - ... more
Met with Turkish government officials; toured historical sites; met with religious leaders $1,725.00
23-Rep. Mike Honda (D-California, 17th)
Honda, Rep. Mike (D-CA)
08/20/13-08/28/13 Pacifica Institute Istanbul, Turkey
Met with Turkish government officials, local business leaders and U.S. government officials; toured ... more $5,675.00
24-Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Arizona, 3rd)
Villa, Cristina M.
12/13/13-12/22/13 Pacifica Institute Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey - ... more
Visited historic and religious sites; met with Turkish officials $4,725.0
25-Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-California, 19th)
Leavandosky, Stacey E.
12/13/13-12/22/13 Pacifica Institute Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey - ... more
Visited historic and religious sites; met with Turkish officials $4,725.00
26- Rep. Darrell Issa (R-California, 49th)
LoFranco, Justin Vincent
05/24/13-06/02/13 Turkic American Alliance Ankara, Turkey - Baku, Azerbaijan - ... more
Met with local business, political and non-governmental leaders and associations $6,110.00
http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2015/02/06/gulen-movement-deceives-us-congressmen-attempts-to-cover-shadowy-activities
Gülen Movement deceives US congressmen, attempts to cover shadowy activities By MEHMET SOLMAZ, Published February 6, 2015 in The Daily Sabah
“Several template letters penned by the Gülenist lobby in the U.S. were sent to some congressmen to be signed and directed to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. A total of 89 congressmen signed one of the template letters that was filled with distorted information and is perceived as an attempt to harm Turkey and its ties with the U.S. Investigative journalist Nedim Şener, who claims his years of imprisonment were the result of writing a book that exposed the misconduct of Gülenist police officers, drew attention to a column penned by Gülenist newspaper Zaman's Editor-in-Chief Ekrem Dumanlı in 2011.
The irony of fate is that the senior Gülenist figure, who blatantly attacked the Turkish government after the movement's illegal activities became apparent, wrote that the movement sought foreign support in order to strengthen its political fight. The movement's leader, Fethullah Gülen, who called on Muslims to destroy "infidels" in one of his sermons, recently penned an opinion piece for the New York Times, in which he attempted to portray himself and his movement as peaceful.
The movement has been involved in alleged illegal activities and has increased its smear campaign against the state and has been involved in spreading false information regarding the events in the country. Only several years ago, when the hidden agendas of the shadowy movement were still covered, the top Gülenist media figure criticized the act of hoping for help from "foreign" circles.
"Anti-Democratic circles in Turkey, who have lost their hopes in the country, have now turned themselves abroad. They attend panels, hold meetings, pen articles, claiming pressure on the media. They claim it. These accusations are not new. They continuously complain foreigners about AK Party (The ruling Justice and Development Party), Erdoğan, Gülen and do all this under the name of journalism. They are settled in Brussels and Washington and do black propaganda at every opportunity. Those misinforming foreigners with false and distorted information are actually giving a political fight. They actually misinform their 'foreign friends' too as none of their analysis represents social reality," Gülen Movement owned Zaman newspaper's chief editor Dumanlı said in the column that was printed on Dec. 5, 2011.
It has recently been discovered that Gülen, who claims to base his movement on dialogue and tolerance between different religions, has previously made radical remarks allegedly encouraging Muslims to destroy "infidels." Gülen's call for taking violent action against non-Muslims can be traced to a recording of a sermon that he gave in the 1980s following the 1980 coup, when he left the city of İzmir and traveled to different cities in Anatolia.
In the recording, Gülen can be heard as saying, "We will ruin the plots of America and reveal their true side." These are particularly remarkable, radical and controversial sentiments given that he has been living in the U.S. in self-imposed exile since 1999. "We will turn the U.S.'s games upside down in the next five to 10 years," Gülen is heard saying in the sermon.
A detailed review of donations by Turkish citizens in election files showed that Gülen has been transferring huge amounts of money to candidates from both U.S. parties since 2006. Millions of dollars were contributed to a variety of politicians from President Barack Obama to Texas Republican Governor Rick Perry, who notoriously suggested the exclusion of Turkey from NATO and claimed that terrorists run the Turkish government.
The TAA, led by Faruk Taban, expressed in one of the template letters that was sent to U.S. congressmen its worries after some movement-linked media figures were briefly detained on charges of attempting to demonize a rival religious group through members in the judiciary and police. The movement is already accused of attempting a coup against an elected government and is now facing charges of establishing an armed terrorist organization led by Fethullah Gülen.
The TAA, which is believed to get direct orders from Gülen, wrote that Turkey topped journalist detentions in 2012 and attempted to link its current condition to those detentions of mainly Kurdish journalists, forgetting that the suspects were sent behind bars with alleged Gülen-linked prosecutors and police chiefs, bringing accusations against the Turkish government for suppressing press freedom. The shadowy organization later brought up the issue of the 1915 events and referenced the complaint against Turkish author Orhan Pamuk's statements referring to the events as genocide.
The TAA misinformed Kerry saying that Pamuk was arrested, when in fact he was put on trial without being arrested. The letter also drew attention to Freedom House, which downgraded its evaluation of the Turkish media in its 2013 report. The report in question stated that 44 journalists are imprisoned in Turkey, but following the release of 10 people in the aftermath of the publication of the report, five journalists were only held in jail and each are allegedly linked to a terrorist organization. Up until the government realized Gülenist infiltration of state institutions, Gülenist media outlets were leading the argument that Turkey was falsely accused of mistreating journalists and how organizations like Freedom House were carelessly putting Turkey into the same category as North Korea.”
I suspect that the primary authors of this letter had considerable help from some of the sameTurkish “intimidators” that they are now defending -- Gulenist lobbyists whose organization for years has notoriously contributed to human rights violations.
And now the shoe is on the other foot -- theirs.
For years and through their massive infiltration into Turkey’s government, courts, military, media, and police force, the Gulenists have manipulated pretty much any public entity possible – including the media. The Gulenists own some of the largest media companies in Turkey and as such, have been allowed to arbitrarily malign and discredit reputable citizens who oppose or question their distorted and narrow ideologies. And now they cry foul because the Turkish government has decided to take back its country – sans the Gulenists and their corruptive policies.
Okay, that’s a problem for Turkey – but the bigger problem here is that we have United States Congressional Representatives defending a group of criminals who not only have corrupted the political infrastructure in Turkey, but have likewise amassed a criminal empire here in the United States. The US Representatives are by proxy complicit in these underhanded activities when they accept Gulenist campaign contributions and free trips to Turkey.
The Turkish newspaper, The Daily Sabah, investigated the signatories of the Kerry letter, and found some interesting facts. Specifically, the paper reported 49% of the US Congressional Representatives that signed the letter had accepted Gulenist campaign contributions and free trips to Turkey.
Now that leads to the question – why?
Why for instance would the Gulenist lobby pay at least $180,000 for our US Congress Representatives to travel to Turkey? And according to The Daily Sabah, reports from the “The U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC) in 2013 and 2014, showed that individuals affiliated with the Gülen Movement donated a total of $241,000 in 2013 and 2014 to 25 congressmen who signed the letter.”
Sure seems like a simple case of a “tit for tat,” or a “We gave you money and trips and now you sign the letter -- etc. ” strategy.
Interestingly, many of the Representative recipients of the Gulenists’ generosity are from states that host a significant number of the US publicly funded Gulenist charter schools.
For as much as the American taxpayers shell out in salaries for Congressional Representatives, I would like to believe that the people that we are paying to represent our interests (and those of our students), would actually do a little basic research on the very people that they are so eagerly and blindly accepting gratuities from -- before and not after - they stuff their fists with cash and their mouths with baklava.
Below are The Daily Sabah links and articles that provide more specific details:
http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2015/02/09/gulen-movement-woos-us-congressmen-with-campaign-donations-and-free-trips
By RAGIP SOYLU, published on February 9, 2015 in The Daily Sabah
Gülen Movement woos US congressmen with campaign donations and free trips
“The Gülen Movement arranged all-expense-paid trips to Turkey and made campaign donations to 43 of the 88 U.S. congressmen, who in turn signed a template letter sent to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, claiming that media outlets linked to the movement were under pressure in Turkey.
The Gülen Movement, headed by Fethullah Gülen who resides in Pennsylvania in self-imposed exile, owns hundreds of schools around the world, dozens of media organs and other businesses and is accused of infiltrating key state institutions, including the police and judiciary, to wage a campaign against anyone it perceives as an opponent. Gülenist operatives in the U.S. sent several template letters to congressmen, who in turn were urged to forward them to Kerry to apply pressure on the Turkish government.
The congressional sponsors of the letter, which was forwarded on February 2, asked Kerry to take action against Turkey, claiming that Gülen-affiliated media organs were under crackdown. However, an investigation has revealed that the sponsors and almost half of the signatories had benefited from all-expense paid trips organized by several U.S.-based organizations of the movement or received campaign donations through Gülen affiliates. Arizona Republican Representative Matt Salmon, the main sponsor of the letter, was brought to Istanbul and Kayseri provinces in Turkey April 11-19 last year by the Arizona-based Foundation for Inter-Cultural Dialogue (FICD), which belongs to Gülenists. Salmon visited several businessmen and various media organs linked to the Gülen Movement during the trip, which according to congressional records cost $12,000.
The assistant of another sponsor, Missouri Democratic Representative Emanuel Cleaver, visited Istanbul March 14-22 last year, which was paid for by the Turkic-American Alliance (TAA). The TAA is known to conduct lobbying activities on behalf of the movement in Congress. Cleaver's assistant met journalists, businessmen and politicians affiliated with the movement during the trip, which cost $2,610.
Congressional records reveal that 26 congressmen or their aides benefited from the largesse of the Gülen Movement in 2013 and 2014, and all involved signed the letter sent to Kerry, which criticized both Turkey and Azerbaijan. Visits were paid for by TAA sub-branches and other U.S.-based Gülenist organizations, such as the Pacifica Institute.
The movement spent over $180,000 for such trips. The TAA, which was founded in 2010, is currently fed by various U.S. businesses linked to the movement to conduct lobbying activities. TAA Chairman Faruk Taban is known for his efforts to engage representatives and senators for support. Sources close to Congress told Daily Sabah that the movement employed the Armenian and Israel lobby in Congress to persuade the other signatories, who had not directly enjoyed free trips.
According to figures released by the U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC) in 2013 and 2014, individuals affiliated with the Gülen Movement donated a total of $241,000 in 2013 and 2014 to 25 congressmen who signed the letter. Donations were mostly made by executives of pro-Gülenist institutions and companies and administrators of Charter Schools, which have been criticized for being privately run but publicly funded educational institutions. Gülenists donated a total of $43,500 to Henry Cuellar, a Democratic representative from Texas, in the past two years. Also in Texas, where the group has a strong presence, Democratic representatives Al Green and Sheila Jackson Lee received $46,000 and $23,000, respectively.
Members of the movement also utilize Super PACs, which are nearly impossible to monitor, to gain influence in the U.S. Congress. According to 2012 and 2013 figures, Gülen schools have around 60,000 pupils in the U.S. and receive an average of $10,608 in state funding per student. The annual sum of public funding for the 130 Gülen schools, with names such as Cosmos, Pioneer, Harmony, Magnolia and Horizon, total $636.48 million. These funds are then used by affiliated companies so that the movement profits from both schools and business activities. Gülenist contractors are used to build and equip schools and teachers who are members of the movement and brought over from Turkey with special visas. These teachers hand over most of their wages to the movement.”
Visits of congressmen or their representatives
1-Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ)
04/11/14-04/19/14 Foundation for Inter-Cultural Dialogue Istanbul, Kayseri, Turkey - Met with Turkish government officials and journalists; visited historical sites. $12,315.00
2-Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Missouri, 5th)
Privately Financed Travel Shapiro, Jennifer G.
03/14/14-03/22/14 Turkic American Alliance Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey - Met with various journalists, politicians, businessmen and U.S. government officials to discuss the $2,617.30
3-Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Illinois, 1st)
Marshall, John P.
05/24/13-06/01/13 Turkish American Federation of Midwest Ankara, Turkey
Participated in a staff delegation to Turkey and Azerbaijan; met with government officials, business $4,397.00
Watkins, Stanley (Stan)
04/18/14-04/26/14 Pacifica Institute Ankara, TurkeyCultural Mecca - Cappadocia, Turkey - ... more
Met with Turkish government officials; toured historical sites; met with religious leaders $2,025.0
4-Rep. Danny Davis (D-Illinois, 7th)
Davis, Rep. Danny (D-IL)
05/27/13-05/30/13 Turkish American Federation of Midwest Baku, Azerbaijan
Attended meetings with politicians and government officials to discuss energy-related policies $24,084.00
Brown, Lavell P.
05/25/13-06/01/13 Turkish American Federation of Midwest Ankara, Turkey
Participated in a staff delegation to Turkey and Azerbaijan; met with government officials, business... more $3,607.00
5-Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas, 28th)
Margowsky, Miranda K.
10/17/14-10/25/14 Turkish American Federation of Midwest Istanbul, Turkey - Ankara, Turkey
Toured local universities and newspapers; visited historic sites; met with U.S. and Turkish government... $3,307.17 Travieso, Amy A.
05/24/13-05/31/13 Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasians Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey - ... more
Participated in U.S. congressional delegation trip to Turkey and Azerbaijan; attended briefings; met... more $5,290.00
Cuellar, Rep. Henry (D-TX)
01/06/13-01/13/13 Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasians Istanbul, Turkey - Baku, Azerbaijan
Participated in a congressional delegation to Turkey and Azerbaijan; visited cultural and historic s... more $26,145.26
6- Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Illinois, 3rd)
Day, Jason O.
10/17/14-10/25/14 Turkish American Federation of Midwest Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey
Toured local universities and newspapers; visited historic sites; met with U.S. and Turkish government... $3,307.17
7-Rep. Jackie Speier (D-California, 14th)
Hashemi, Cookab Vontenc
04/18/14-04/26/14 Pacifica Institute Ankara, Turkey - Cappadocia, Turkey - ...
Met with Turkish government officials; toured historical sites; met with religious leaders $2,025.00
Ryan, Erin M.
12/13/13-12/22/13 Pacifica Institute Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey
Visited historic and religious sites; met with Turkish officials $4,725.00
8-Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-North Carolina, 1st)
Hernandez, Saul Z.
04/27/13-05/05/13 Mid-Atlantic Federation of Turkic American Associations Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey - ...
Participated in congressional trip to Turkey; met with academics, government officials, local citizens... $2,580.00
9-Rep. Lacy Clay (D-Missouri, 1st)
Jamry, Pauline Margaret
05/09/14-05/17/14 Turkish American Federation of Midwest Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey - ... more
Met Turkish doctors, businessmen, journalists, politicians and educators. $3,667.6
10-Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas, 18th)
Jackson Lee, Rep. Sheila (D-TX)
05/27/13-05/30/13 Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasians Baku, Azerbaijan
Participated in U.S. congressional delegation trip to Turkey and Azerbaijan; attended briefings; met... $12,033.90
11-Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D-Illinois, 4th)
Paucar, Theresa
08/22/14-08/30/14 Turkish American Federation of Midwest Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey
Met with government officials and Turkish civilians to discuss U.S.-Turkish relations; visited histo... more $3,576.64
12-Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Kentucky, 2nd)
Miller, Joel Glen
04/18/14-04/27/14 Mid-Atlantic Federation of Turkic American Associations Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey
Met with Turkish officials regarding U.S.-Turkey relations $2,580.00
13-Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio, 6th)
Orth, Patrick F. (Pat)
03/14/14-03/22/14 Turkic American Alliance Ankara, TurkeyCultural Mecca - Istanbul, Turkey - ...
Met with various journalists, politicians, businessmen and U.S. government officials to discuss the ... $2,617.30
14-Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Arizona, 4th)
Van Flein, Thomas V. (Tom)
12/13/13-12/22/13 Pacifica Institute Ankara, Turkey - Ephesus, Turkey - ... more
Visited historic and religious sites; met with Turkish officials $4,700.00
15-Rep. Filemon Vela (D-Texas, 34th)
Brody, Perry Finney
04/18/14-04/26/14 Pacifica Institute Ankara, Turkey - Cappadocia, Turkey - ... more
Met with Turkish government officials; toured historical sites; met with religious leaders
16-Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-OK)
Bridenstine, Rep. Jim (R-OK)
05/26/13-05/31/13 Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasians Baku, Azerbaijan
Participated in U.S. Congressional Delegation Trip to Azerbaijan; attended briefings; met with gover... more $14,172.70
17-Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-Louisiana, 2nd)
Butterworth, Austin Zach (Zach)
05/24/13-06/02/13 Turkic American Alliance Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey - ... more
Met with local business, political and non-governmental leaders and associations $4,055.00
18-Rep. George Holding (R-North Carolina, 13th)
Knott, Joseph Tucker (Tucker)
04/18/14-04/27/14 Mid-Atlantic Federation of Turkic American Associations Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey - ... more
Met with Turkish officials regarding U.S.-Turkey relations $2,580.00
19-Rep. John J. Duncan (R-Tennessee, 2nd)
Black, David D.
05/25/13-05/30/13 Turkic American Federation of the Southeast Baku, Azerbaijan - Istanbul, Turkey
Met with national politicians from Turkey and Azerbaijan, as well as business leaders and local citi... more $2,655.00
20-Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Michigan, 5th)
Nienberg, Troy M.
08/22/14-08/30/14 Turkish American Federation of Midwest Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey
Met with government officials and Turkish civilians to discuss U.S.-Turkish relations; visited histo... more $3,565.6
21-Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Alabama, 5th)
Vandiver, Lauren K.
05/24/13-06/02/13 Turkic American Alliance Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey - ... more
Met with local business, political and non-governmental leaders and associations $4,055.00
22-Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-California, 32nd)
Chao, Daniel See
04/18/14-04/26/14 Pacifica Institute Istanbul, Turkey - Cappadocia, Turkey - ... more
Met with Turkish government officials; toured historical sites; met with religious leaders $1,725.00
23-Rep. Mike Honda (D-California, 17th)
Honda, Rep. Mike (D-CA)
08/20/13-08/28/13 Pacifica Institute Istanbul, Turkey
Met with Turkish government officials, local business leaders and U.S. government officials; toured ... more $5,675.00
24-Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Arizona, 3rd)
Villa, Cristina M.
12/13/13-12/22/13 Pacifica Institute Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey - ... more
Visited historic and religious sites; met with Turkish officials $4,725.0
25-Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-California, 19th)
Leavandosky, Stacey E.
12/13/13-12/22/13 Pacifica Institute Ankara, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey - ... more
Visited historic and religious sites; met with Turkish officials $4,725.00
26- Rep. Darrell Issa (R-California, 49th)
LoFranco, Justin Vincent
05/24/13-06/02/13 Turkic American Alliance Ankara, Turkey - Baku, Azerbaijan - ... more
Met with local business, political and non-governmental leaders and associations $6,110.00
http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2015/02/06/gulen-movement-deceives-us-congressmen-attempts-to-cover-shadowy-activities
Gülen Movement deceives US congressmen, attempts to cover shadowy activities By MEHMET SOLMAZ, Published February 6, 2015 in The Daily Sabah
“Several template letters penned by the Gülenist lobby in the U.S. were sent to some congressmen to be signed and directed to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. A total of 89 congressmen signed one of the template letters that was filled with distorted information and is perceived as an attempt to harm Turkey and its ties with the U.S. Investigative journalist Nedim Şener, who claims his years of imprisonment were the result of writing a book that exposed the misconduct of Gülenist police officers, drew attention to a column penned by Gülenist newspaper Zaman's Editor-in-Chief Ekrem Dumanlı in 2011.
The irony of fate is that the senior Gülenist figure, who blatantly attacked the Turkish government after the movement's illegal activities became apparent, wrote that the movement sought foreign support in order to strengthen its political fight. The movement's leader, Fethullah Gülen, who called on Muslims to destroy "infidels" in one of his sermons, recently penned an opinion piece for the New York Times, in which he attempted to portray himself and his movement as peaceful.
The movement has been involved in alleged illegal activities and has increased its smear campaign against the state and has been involved in spreading false information regarding the events in the country. Only several years ago, when the hidden agendas of the shadowy movement were still covered, the top Gülenist media figure criticized the act of hoping for help from "foreign" circles.
"Anti-Democratic circles in Turkey, who have lost their hopes in the country, have now turned themselves abroad. They attend panels, hold meetings, pen articles, claiming pressure on the media. They claim it. These accusations are not new. They continuously complain foreigners about AK Party (The ruling Justice and Development Party), Erdoğan, Gülen and do all this under the name of journalism. They are settled in Brussels and Washington and do black propaganda at every opportunity. Those misinforming foreigners with false and distorted information are actually giving a political fight. They actually misinform their 'foreign friends' too as none of their analysis represents social reality," Gülen Movement owned Zaman newspaper's chief editor Dumanlı said in the column that was printed on Dec. 5, 2011.
It has recently been discovered that Gülen, who claims to base his movement on dialogue and tolerance between different religions, has previously made radical remarks allegedly encouraging Muslims to destroy "infidels." Gülen's call for taking violent action against non-Muslims can be traced to a recording of a sermon that he gave in the 1980s following the 1980 coup, when he left the city of İzmir and traveled to different cities in Anatolia.
In the recording, Gülen can be heard as saying, "We will ruin the plots of America and reveal their true side." These are particularly remarkable, radical and controversial sentiments given that he has been living in the U.S. in self-imposed exile since 1999. "We will turn the U.S.'s games upside down in the next five to 10 years," Gülen is heard saying in the sermon.
A detailed review of donations by Turkish citizens in election files showed that Gülen has been transferring huge amounts of money to candidates from both U.S. parties since 2006. Millions of dollars were contributed to a variety of politicians from President Barack Obama to Texas Republican Governor Rick Perry, who notoriously suggested the exclusion of Turkey from NATO and claimed that terrorists run the Turkish government.
The TAA, led by Faruk Taban, expressed in one of the template letters that was sent to U.S. congressmen its worries after some movement-linked media figures were briefly detained on charges of attempting to demonize a rival religious group through members in the judiciary and police. The movement is already accused of attempting a coup against an elected government and is now facing charges of establishing an armed terrorist organization led by Fethullah Gülen.
The TAA, which is believed to get direct orders from Gülen, wrote that Turkey topped journalist detentions in 2012 and attempted to link its current condition to those detentions of mainly Kurdish journalists, forgetting that the suspects were sent behind bars with alleged Gülen-linked prosecutors and police chiefs, bringing accusations against the Turkish government for suppressing press freedom. The shadowy organization later brought up the issue of the 1915 events and referenced the complaint against Turkish author Orhan Pamuk's statements referring to the events as genocide.
The TAA misinformed Kerry saying that Pamuk was arrested, when in fact he was put on trial without being arrested. The letter also drew attention to Freedom House, which downgraded its evaluation of the Turkish media in its 2013 report. The report in question stated that 44 journalists are imprisoned in Turkey, but following the release of 10 people in the aftermath of the publication of the report, five journalists were only held in jail and each are allegedly linked to a terrorist organization. Up until the government realized Gülenist infiltration of state institutions, Gülenist media outlets were leading the argument that Turkey was falsely accused of mistreating journalists and how organizations like Freedom House were carelessly putting Turkey into the same category as North Korea.”
IN RESPONSE - AKP LEANING PAPER
SENDS E MAILS TO EACH MEMBER OF CONGRESS ASKING FOR
AN INTERVIEW AND ELABORATION ON WHY THEY SENT THIS LETTER
Additional extras from Tim Furman's site
"Dispatch from Gulenland" http://www.tbfurman.us/2015/02/dispatch-from-gulen-land.html
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