Journalist reveals MGK decision to fight against all religious groups

[rug]

The National Security Council (MGK) convened during a meeting held on Thursday. (Photo: DHA)

November 02, 2014, Sunday/ 16:30:14/ TODAY'S ZAMAN / ISTANBUL

In a statement that came as a confession, a reporter from the pro-government Sabah daily said a decision was made at the National Security Council (MGK) meeting on Thursday to wage an effective war against all religious groups in the country.

Speaking during a TV program on TV Net channel on Friday evening, Sabah reporter Abdurrahman Şimşek, who shared his comments about the MGK meeting, said: “There is such a joint decision. No structure will be allowed in the state from now on. Not Süleymancıs, Nakşis, Menzilcis or İskenderpaşıcıs or any members of the İsmailağa community. There will be an effective fight against all [religious] groups.”

These religious communities have been in existence in Turkey for years and they have hundreds of thousands of followers. Even during coup times when immense pressure was imposed on these communities, they managed to survive.

Thursday's MGK meeting saw many firsts. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who occupied the seat of the prime minister for the past 12 years at MGK meetings, chaired the meeting for the first time as president, while former Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu attended the meeting as prime minister for the first time. It was the first time that Deputy Prime Ministers Numan Kurtulmuş, Yalçın Akdoğan and Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu attended the MGK meeting. Thursday's MGK meeting lasted for 10 hours and 25 minutes, the longest MGK meeting in the history of the Turkish Republic. It was even longer than the notorious nine-hour MGK meeting on Feb. 28, 1997, following which a military coup, dubbed a post-modern coup, took place.

http://www.todayszaman.com/anasayfa_journalist-reveals-mgk-decision-to-fight-against-all-religious-groups_363302.html

[Cartoonist]

1. This doesn't sound good

However, since members of the military at the meeting said if such a step is going to be taken it should apply to all religious communities.
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Does this mean ALL religious communities? Does this mean the establishment of One Religion, I assume it to be Islam. Which sect? What will be the consequences?

[rug]

3. I believe Turkey has been officially secular since Kemal Ataturk.

It certainly sounds like all religious communities.

[Jim__]

2. What do they mean by religious communities?

Are they talking about communities that have their own internal governing structures? If the government of Turkey tried to outlaw all religious groups, I'd think they'd have a lot of trouble on their hands.

[rug]

4. Beats me. This gives new meaning to the term Byzantine.

In the meantime, leader of Workers' Party (İP) Doğu Perinçek, who spoke at an event organized by his party in Balıkesir province, said there will be extensive mobilization to make people aware of the need for the eradication of religious communities in the society.

When he was released from prison early this year after serving for some time for being a member of Ergenekon, a shadowy crime network that has alleged links within the state and is suspected of plotting to topple the government, Perinçek said he would collaborate with Erdoğan for the eradication of religious communities, the Hizmet movement in particular.

In another development, Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Masum Türker told Today's Zaman that the lengthy MGK meeting indicates that national security is about to fail.

We need a lot more context here. It seems to be driven by a response to ISIS.

According to wiki, this source has been around since 2007.

[Leontius]

5. What this means is war all parties opposed to Justice party's form of Islamification of Turkey.

All honor to Caliph Erdogan. Secular Turkey is dying slowly now but the pace will quicken.

[Promethean]

6. This. It seems like an attack on religion at first glance.

However it doesn't mention the continuing history of steps towards Islamic rule Turkey has been taking. This is just a repeating of Islam's long history of killing off all unapproved religions.

[cbayer]

7. Tragically I think you are correct.

This road they are on is going to have all kinds of negative consequences, including never becoming part of the EU.

It is very very sad to see.

[rug]

8. That might be at. The word "other" may be implicit.

I've got to find more information on this.