Can journalist Fehmi Koru’s testimony be accepted?

Journalist Fehmi Koru was the lead writer for years in the publication outlet of the Gülen community. He dined at Fethullah Gülen’s table. There are several photographs of him with Fethullah Gülen. He was close friends with Alaattin Kaya, who is currently in prison on charges of being a member of the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETÖ). 

Even after the Dec. 17-25, 2013, investigations that are considered to be milestones in the fight against FETÖ or the Gülen Community’s major attack on the government, Fehmi Koru wrote articles claiming that “Fethullah Hoca is not involved in any of these affairs.”  

Koru was once the messenger between Ankara and Pennsylvania, where Fethullah Gülen resides in his self-imposed exile. Koru was treated as a “favorite” of the Gülen Community. 

This is what Fehmi Koru is. 

But, despite this, he is not a FETÖ suspect or anything.

On the other hand, while Fehmi Koru is not even considered a FETÖ suspect. All the while, his written comment, “At one time, the father of Burak Akbay [owner of daily Sözcü], Ertuğrul Akbay, had whispered in my ear that his son stayed at houses owned by the community while he went to university in Switzerland,” has been accepted as a gigantic disclosure and as very acceptable testimony by our courts.  

For this reason, an arrest warrant was issued for Burak Akbay accusing him of being a FETÖ member. 

In an environment where Fehmi Koru is a witness and Burak Akbay is a defendant; when Fehmi Koru is witnessing and Kadri Gürsel is in jail; where Fehmi Koru is a witness while cartoonist Musa Kart is a defendant in jail, where Fehmi Koru is a witness and Barbaros Muratoğlu is a defendant in jail; it is a very thin line for me before going crazy… 

If you do this to two newspapers 

You can never claim, “Look, we have freedom of thought,” if you do this to two leading newspapers, dailies Cumhuriyet and Sözcü. 

You can never say, “Look, they are freely criticizing us.” You cannot say, “Look, even in the face of the severest criticisms, we such great tolerance.” 

You cannot say, “Look, what a democratic government we have.” 

At least, for the sake of being able to say these, leave Sözcü and Cumhuriyet alone… 

‘Controlled coup d’état’ 

I am tired of saying, “Don’t do it,” but main opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is not tired of doing it. I recommended that he stop calling the July 15, 2016, failed coup attempt a “controlled coup d’état” because it is similar to calling it a “theater play.”  

Both of these definitions would make putschists happy. Both of them are disrespectful to the martyrs. Both of them are unkind to the parliament that was bombed. It is unfair to the nation that resisted the coup all together. It is a terrible slander.   

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) chair Kılıçdaroğlu has again come out and said, “We will soon disclose the secret of the controlled coup.” 

Dear Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu, if there is really a secret you know of that can be disclosed, it is your debt of honor that you not wait another second but disclose it immediately. 

On the contrary, if you have nothing to disclose but are just saying this, this is…

Please fill in the blank, Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu.