Islamic scholar Gülen supports talks with imprisoned PKK leader

ISTANBUL

Fettullah Gülen, Hürriyet Photo

Turkish Islamic scholar Fetthullah Gülen has extended his support to recent talks between pro-Kurdish lawmakers and Kurdish militants’ jailed leader, saying everything necessary should be done for peace, according to Herkül.org, a website close to the movement.

“Peace is good and goodness is from peace. [You can] kiss a hand or the hem of garment as long as [you don’t] disregard national pride,” said Gülen, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania but remains an influential figure in Turkey’s political scene.

“We should not let the country be divided,” Gülen told his followers, adding that everything necessary should be done and people should conceal past distresses if required to do so.

Last week, two pro-Kurdish lawmakers were permitted to meet with outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan on İmralı island, where he is currently serving a life sentence.

Ayla Akat Ata, a Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputy, and Ahmet Türk, an independent deputy and co-chair of the umbrella group Democratic Society Congress (DTK), traveled to İmralı from Istanbul’s Ataköy marina on Jan. 3.