[Aduket]

Atheist turk here, this youtube channel is the largest social media channel of gulen religious sect/terror group, which tried to topple erdogan in 2016.

Despite hating Erdogan to my guts, i can assure you that this gulenist movement/terror group is a bigger threat to secularism and democracy in turkey and world alike.

[alisonatwork]

I find this to be one of the most insidious side-effects of press censorship under authoritarian regimes - it seems to create an ecosystem of resistance media that is just as biased as the government propaganda.

A similar thing happens with China through stuff like Epoch Times or Guo Wengui's channel. The outlets that position themselves as strong opposition to the regime are themselves untrustworthy sources, which ironically just serves to bolster the position of the regime. ("See? You can't trust anything! Even in so-called free countries all the news is fake!" etc)

Do you have any recommendations for media organizations that are doing reliable reporting on Turkey but aren't propaganda fronts for one faction or the other?

[pjc50]

Yeah, this was a serious problem in Egypt where the post-Arab Spring elected goverment was less liberal than the military dictatorship.

[goda90]

There's a lot of doubt internationally that Gulen was behind the coup attempt. And there are some that believe it was a false flag operation to allow Erdogan to solidify his power.

[imraj96]

Genuinely curious to know why you think the gulen movement is a bigger threat to secularism & democracy in Turkey & the world. From my findings, they start & fund secular schools(elementary to university), fund & organize interfaith dialogues, fund social programmes etc.

I've skimmed a couple of books written by Fetullah gulen and what he preaches peace, love and cooperation amongst all. Of course, every group has it's idiosyncrasies, but can't find anything out of the ordinary with the gulen movement.

Has it been established with proof that the gulen movement is responsible for the coup?

[mcsofake]

> I've skimmed a couple of books written by Fetullah gulen and what he preaches peace, love and cooperation amongst all.

He's a lovely fellow indeed: https://twitter.com/kyleworton/status/1086084532393136128

[Aduket]

That's the beauty of it; he had been favored as the harbinger of "moderate and peaceful islam that west had been trying to spread in the middle east, starting from turkey", and he played it pretty well in their eyes. and by milking this very support of the western countries, he managed to infiltrate in very critical positions in Turkey, thanks to his well educated followers, who were picked up from poor families as teens in the outskirts of Turkey. For this very reason, his followers also have held key positions in many african and asian countries.

These well educated brainwashed army of his followers, who are hidden their secret agenda under the "peace, love and cooperation" are greater threat to Turkey and all these corresponding countries than Erdogan might dare to pose, whose followers are just uneducated, nationalist inferiority complex driven, unintelligent turkish people.

Yes, it is certain that it was fethullah gulen movement behind the coup. However, erdogan took advantage of this to gain the absolute power of the country and to suppress all the opposing voices.

[selimthegrim]

Gulen’s group used to give answers for civil service exams to his followers on the condition that once they were inside they were owned body and soul

[cblconfederate]

that's why you need open media, so all sides can be heard, and frankly exposed for what they are