Fethullah Gulen warns against Turkey's unilateral war

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen has warned against the dire consequences of Turkey's unilateral involvement in a mission in Syria or Iraq that goes against the mission of the international community. The Turkish authorities should avoid any action that may cause the Turkish people to experience sorrows similar to those of World War I.

In a speech published on Oct. 4 on herkul.org, a website that publishes his speeches, Gülen said those who are working to turn Turkey into an intelligence state -- in a clear reference to the government of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) -- should not be overcome by aspirations to make Turkey enter a war “here and there,” referring to Syria and Iraq, and make people experience a disaster similar to World War I. What Mr. Gulen was referring to is President Erdogan’s insistence that the mission include toppling of the Assad regime.

“My wish from God is that they [government officials] do not enter a war here and there and make the people [of Turkey] experience a new World War I as did the Committee of Union and Progress [İttihat ve Terakki Cemiyeti, which is accused of dragging the Ottoman Empire into World War I] after they [the committee] were overcome by their aspirations and made the Devlet-i Aliye [the Ottoman Empire] victim of an adventure,” Gülen said.

22 killed in protests against ISIL siege of Kurdish town

 22 people were killed and dozens injured across Turkey on Tuesday and Wednesday as sympathizers of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) resorted to violent demonstrations in protest of the Turkish government's failure to help prevent the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani from falling to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).