Fethullah Gülen's Empire: the share of ‘Holy Khoja’ and the lost bank
The Turkish security forces revealed the financial schemes of Fethullah Gülen’s movement
The name of a Turkish preacher Fethullah Gülen, whom the Turkish authorities believe to be involved in the failed military coup, is on the pages of every media. A range of opinions about his role is very wide. Realnoe Vremya prepared the selection of materials of the Turkish press on the financial and economic component of the movement.
How the administrative resource helped the Gülen's movement
The inspection materials of the Republican General Prosecutor's office on the economic structure of the movement of Fethullah Gülen got into media. The official Turkish authorities named the society of the preacher as the main initiator of the failed military coup.
The audit was conducted before the military coup and the materials were submitted to the court. The preacher's wealth, according to the press, is estimated at $1 billion. The opposition newspaper Sozcu gives the following information.
The revenue structure and financial sources of the movement
1. Income from public sources — speculation in the stock market, the obtaining of public tenders, 'awards' and gifts:
- The allocation of public contracts to the companies associated with the movement.
- The competing through judicial and administrative resources and the takeover of the market.
- Economic intelligence (the organization of the leak of investment and financial plans of the companies-competitors).
- Gratuitous transfer of state and municipal land to the property of companies, funds and educational centers of the movement.
- The implementation by the municipalities of the work on the improvement and construction, taking into account the interests of societies, funds and companies of the movement.
- Remuneration from the entrepreneurs, who with the help of responsible officers of the Turkish Business Union and the Coordinating Council established business contacts with foreign partners.
- The transfer of state subsidies, government support in favour of companies of the movement.
To give lamb on the way of Gülen
2. Income from entrepreneurs: blackmail, threats, and sponsorship.
3. Donations: the sacrificial animals, zakat (mandatory donation for Muslims), scholarships.
4. Income from business units of the movement (commercial organizations, banks, holdings, societies and funds). By the way, on 18 July, the Turkish Deposit Insurance Fund announced the suspension of Bank Asya's work, which is believed to be linked with the preacher Fethullah Gülen.
5. Income from educational activities: university prep courses, private schools, dormitories, publication of textbooks for preparation for exams.
6. Income from advertising and subscriptions from the controlled media. By the way, the movement has more than 20 media companies, including Samanyolu Haber, Radyo Anadolu, Hira TV and Kanal Türk.
7. Income from non-governmental organizations.
15% — the share of the Holy Hodja
2 356 companies and 347 people working in them got within the field of view of the security forces. According to the prosecutors, within the movement there had been created its own system of taxation called 'Help' ('Himmet'). The contributions were made not only by entrepreneurs but even the officials gave a part of their salary.
It is specified that all members of the movement who worked in public and private companies transferred donations to the special fund. Married ones allocated 10% of salary, unmarried ones — 15-20%. Moreover, 15% of the total money collected by the movement (they called it 'the share of Holy teacher-Khoja') went to Pennsylvania, where the leader of the group lives, Fethullah Gülen.
In the framework of the special operation against the terrorist organization of Fethullah Gülen in the Turkish city of Gaziantep there was raided Naksan Holding. A member of the Board of Directors of the holding Taner Nakıboğlu was arrested in the airport. The security forces also confiscated the computers and documents in the headquarters of the holding.
The security forces came to the headquarters
The police of Turkey raided the spiritual homeland of Gülen – İzmir. In this city the movement has always had the strong position.
The policemen burst into in the lyceum of the movement – Yamanlar. In the course of the raid the security forces entered the room of Gülen where he lived and found the window displays of presents, clothes.
Among the things there were T-shirts with autographs of famous Turkish footballers. By the way, the famous footballer Hakan Şükür is believed to be the follower of Gülen.
The media reports that the students of the college, enrolled in the military schools, took the oath. In the materials of the interrogation it is reported that the future students in the course of the ceremony on swords in the presence of Fethullah Gülen swore allegiance to the movement.