Fethullah Hoca Must be Accepted

Yeni Yuzyil reported that the Republican People's Party (CHP) mayoral candidate for metropolitan Istanbul, Adnan Polat, has taken a moderate stance regarding Fethullah Hoca, widely seen as the leader of a religious community whose members are called Fethullahcis. When asked whether he shared the rigid CHP stance on Gülen, Polat indicated that Turkey is a country whose heritage is a grand mosaic shaped by various cultures. He said: "At present there are people with a variety of thoughts and creeds. We must acknowledge and creeds. We must acknowledge the presence of all of them. What is indispensable is the secular-democratic republic and national integrity. Provided that they preserve these two principles, all people in Turkey will have freedom o movement according to their ways of thinking." 1999-04-02 00:00:00