CS Track is broadening our knowledge about Citizen Science by investigating Citizen Science activities, disseminating good practices and formulating knowledge-based policy recommendations to maximise the potential benefit of Citizen Science activities on individual citizens, organisations, and society at large.

From Ian Galloway I came to Robert College in 1979 as a young physics teacher, all the way from Tarsus Amerikan Lisesi (TAL). For the previous two years TAL, RC, Uskudar Kiz Lisesi and Izmir Amerikan Lisesi had been conducting a joint regular physics competition. Before returning to the UK I was asked by the headteacher (Jim Maggart) if I would consider teaching at RC and so I found myself one day buried in the RC physics store cupboard looking through piles of disorganised apparatus. It was here that I discovered some pieces of brass, clearly belonging to a nice piece of apparatus, which did not seem to belong anywhere. They had evidently been used for some student project in the past. I asked my colleague, Barrie Tranter then Head of Science, what on earth these pieces of brass belonged to. “No idea”, he said, “They`ve been there all the time I`ve been here and probably long before that!”. My curiosity was piqued and so I carefully collected all the pieces together and attempted to reassemble them into something recognisable. After some time I had in front of me what I thought was a Morse code machine. A device for sending messages along a wire in the form of short and long pulses, dots and dashes. Each group of pulses formed a letter or number and so messages could be sent long distances along a telegraph wire. I was pretty pleased and asked Barrie if he had ever come across any more such brass pieces in the college as I realised then that you needed two such instruments, one at each end of the wire. “No”, he said, “never seen anything else like it, but it certainly could be a Morse code device!”. A year later I was asked to teach in the Orta school where to my astonishment I discovered another machine. In amongst the stuffed animals and gorilla skeleton (another story!) was a second intact Morse Code device. I now had two instruments, but what were they doing here? Several years passed before I met May Fincanci who wrote The Story of Robert College Old and New: 1863-1982. May was attempting to piece together the archives of RC, and I had agreed to help her go through some documents in a room which was overflowing with records. This was around 1982/83 so May must have finished her book by then. Amongst other things (I discovered the first enrolment list for RC dated 1863), imagine my utter amazement when I read the name Sam* F B Morse at the bottom of an old letter! So here it was, the reason for the two machines being part of RC history. Morse had donated the machines, which by the way are not “models” as suggested in the library but fully working devices, to Cyrus Hamlin the cofounder of RC with Christopher Robert, because of his singular help with demonstrating the system to the Sultan, Abdülmecid I. The year was about 1844 and Cyrus Hamlin was running the Bebek seminary where he had established a by now well-known laboratory for the instruction of engineers. Hamlin was the owner of a very fine set of batteries, which at the time were not easy to come by, remember the battery had only ‘just` been invented a few years previously (1800) by Volta. It was a matter of great convenience to have batteries available near the Beylerbeyi palace where the system was to be demonstrated. Hamlin was not happy with the way the device worked and made recommendations for improvement. Unfortunately Mr Chamberlain who was working for Morse with Hamlin was drowned in the Danube on his way to Vienna to have the necessary improvements made. Finally in 1847 the stage was set and Cyrus was on hand to ensure that the batteries functioned correctly. All worked well and Prof. Smith who led the demonstration party suggested to the Sultan that any thanks should be sent to Prof. Morse. Consequently the very first European power to recognise the potential of the Morse Code machine was Turkey and that was in no small way due to the help provided by Hamlin who later founded Robert College. Rightly so, these machines form part of the history of Robert College and, for me personally, it is very pleasing to see them on display in the library. Following the demonstration no telegraph line was built, at least not until the Crimean war in 1853. It is my belief that these two machines are the original two machines used by Prof Smith and Hamlin in the Beylerbeyi Palace in 1847. They were presumably collecting dust in Smith`s offices and simply collected by Mr Perkins on his way to see Hamlin and congratulate him on founding Robert College. * The only reference I can find to Chamberlain visiting Constantinople gives the date as 1839. This was too early for Hamlin who arrived himself in 1839 and almost certainly too early for Morse to be presenting to the Sultan. Chamberlain`s visit was almost certainly around 1845 as the necessary improvements would not have taken 8 years and Hamlin would by then have had time to establish the reputation of his seminary! Transcript of Morse`s letter to Hamlin. New York May 15 1863 My dear Sir By Mr Perkins who sails tomorrow for the Levant, I take great pleasure in sending you a set[t] of my telegraph instruments, in duplicate, furnishing two termini complete, and consisting of two registers, two receiving magnets, and two keys, handsomely mounted on walnut platforms. Accept them from me for your College, hoping they may be acceptable to Government, the Officers of the institution, and the pupils and be an agreeable appendage to your philosophical apparatus. I the more readily make this donation to an institution in the Turkish Empire, since I am proud to say that the first honorary acknowledgement of the value of my invention from a European Government was received from the late amiable Sultan Abdu[h]l Mejid Khan, being the Nishan Iftichar [sic] in diamonds, which honour has been since repeated, from other sovereigns in the bestowment of four several orders of knighthood. May God bless you, and prosper your efforts to promote [h]is glory and the highest happiness of man. With sincere respect Yr Ob Servt** Saml F B Morse Mr Hamlin Constantinople ** Your obedient servant

Still warming to my favourite topic of climate change. Find below a complete story about how we are able to measure atmospheric temperatures from millions of years ago. Use this as a lesson starter or discussion topic with students. 400 years ago: Johannes van Helmont (born Brussels, Spanish/Dutch citizen), an early experimentalist, first coins the word gas. Probably from Greek chaos and his particular use of Flemish. Also famous for his 5 year tree experiment and for perhaps the first idea of an enzyme. 300 years ago: Réamur, French, invents the cupola furnace, similar to a modern blast furnace, for melting and smelting iron. A major by-product of extracting iron from its ore is of course carbon dioxide. The industrial revolution is now of course history! Also famous for his Reamur temperature scale. 200 years ago: The continent of Antarctica, a huge sheet of ice nearly 5 kilometers thick at one point, is sighted for the first time by three explorers independently. A Russian, von Bellingshausen, an American, Palmer and an Englishman, Bransfield. In the same year, electromagnetism is discovered by Oersted, Danish. Arago and Ampere, both French contribute with Ampere's Law and magnetization, while Schweigger, German, invents the galvanometer. These developments underpin all scientific efforts to make measurements, and in particular the mass spectrometer. 100 years ago: Aston, British, invents the first mass spectrometer for measuring the isotopic composition of the elements and discovers the whole number rule for atomic masses. Today: Antarctica is an area of enormous experimental interest, with many countries collecting data on the atmosphere, ice and the oceans, not to mention data about past climates. Many nationalities over four centuries have contributed to this scientific enterprise. We measure carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere millions of years ago by examining tiny bubbles of air trapped in ice-cores. We can also measure the isotopic composition of gases trapped in these bubbles to determine past climate temperatures. In this way carbon dioxide concentrations can be correlated with atmospheric temperatures. Best wishes Ian

I have been thinking about the sustainability goals of the EU and our new content project, Sustainability in STEM education. Today is the birthday of Maria Goeppert-Mayer, Nobel Laureate in Physics 1963. After Marie Curie`s award in 1903, Maria is the second woman to win a Nobel in physics. Donna Strickland became the third woman Nobel prize-winner in physics in 2018. Roughly half a century between them! Goeppert-Mayer won her award for finding a mathematical model for the structure of the nucleus. Interestingly she submitted her paper to the Physical Review 3 months before a group of three male scientists submitted similar work. Their work was published first! Maria Goeppert-Mayer endured many years of working for nothing because she was a woman and did not obtain a paid university position until 1942, twelve years after winning her doctorate. When offered a position at the Argonne National Laboratory in 1946, she replied, “I don`t know anything about nuclear physics”. Despite this self-deprecation she had already predicted that the undiscovered trans-uranic elements would form a series similar to the rare earth metals, would go on to programme the first electronic computer ENIAC to solve complex problems on nuclear reactor cooling and later develop her model of the nucleus. Maria was educated at Gottingen University and would have met Emmy Noether, described by Einstein and others as the greatest woman mathematician in the history of mathematics. Few people know about Noether`s work. I never heard about her during my own studies in physics at university, yet Noether`s theorem concerns all the conservation laws. Essentially she proved that the Law of Conservation of Energy must exist. She provided the mathematical logic to explain why there is a law of conservation of momentum. In principle, Noether`s theorem explains why there is any physics at all, so it is worth pondering why we know so little about her. Thinking about Goeppert-Mayer`s work in nuclear physics reminded me that another famous woman in STEM working on the nucleus was born just 100 years ago. Her work was not about the atom`s nucleus but was on nucleic acid, DNA, and she was of course Rosalind Franklin. Franklin presented a paper at King`s College London in November 1951 suggesting the twin helical structure of DNA, two years before Crick and Watson published their work. Rosalind Franklin, who died in 1958, is perhaps the most famous ever non-recipient of a Nobel Prize. She was overlooked by the Nobel Committee for 1962 at a time when the current rule about not awarding prizes posthumously did not exist, meaning that she was almost certainly disregarded because she was a woman. Best wishes Ian Galloway

On December 31, 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) was informed of an outbreak of “pneumonia of unknown cause” detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China – the seventh-largest city in China with 11 million residents. As of January 23, there are over 800 cases of 2019-nCoV confirmed globally, including cases in at least 20 regions in China and nine countries/territories. The first reported infected individuals, some of whom showed symptoms as early as December 8, were discovered to be among stallholders from the Wuhan South China Seafood Market.

STEM & Makers Fest/Expo 23-24 March 2019, Adıyaman University Provincial Education Director Ahmet Alagoz, Adiyaman University Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Talha Gonullu, Hacettepe University representatives, students, teachers, and parents, merhabalar. I am honored to be here in Adiyaman for the first time for the STEM Makers Fest and Expo. On behalf of the U.S. Embassy, I`d like to thank all of the partners who made this expo possible – Adiyaman University, Hacettepe University, Turkish STEM Alliance, Texas Instruments, STEM News Aggregator (bilimiletisimi.com), and especially Prof. Dr. Gultekin Cakmakci for his steadfast efforts to coordinate this impressive event. Atatürk once said, “Hayatta en hakiki mürşit ilimdir.” The truest guide in life is science. He also said “Bütün ümidim gençliktedir.” All of my hope is in the youth. Here we are today in a room bursting with the enthusiasm of a new generation fully engaged in scientific discovery and innovation. In your lifetime, your generation will face unprecedented challenges. Can humans travel to – or even live on – Mars? What can we do to reduce the effects of climate change or adapt ourselves to new environment? How will new computer technologies like social media and artificial intelligence affect human experience? As Ataturk said, we place our hope in you to address these challenges and many more. Studying STEM will help you to do that. STEM is powerful because it is universal. Mathematics, Javascript, the laws of physics – these languages and principles transcend borders, religions, genders, and other qualities that we use to define ourselves. If you know these skills, you can collaborate with anyone to solve an issue. In fact, having diverse people involved increases the chances you will find a new solution. By fusing your unique perspectives on a particular problem, you are likely to see solutions that no one individual could have discovered on his or her own. At the Department of State, we frequently send people from all over the world to the United States so they can tackle tough issues with other international researchers. Take for example Turkish scientist Canan Dagdeviren. Together with her colleagues at MIT and Harvard, she developed technology to recharge medical implants so patients can avoid repeat surgery. This life-changing technology is the result of teamwork between Turkish, American, and other scholars working together—despite language and cultural differences—through their shared abilities in science. Unfortunately, many students` only exposure to STEM fields is in the classroom—poring over textbooks, memorizing formulas, or at best, staring into beakers in dreary laboratories. These experiences aren`t likely to spark the passion and drive necessary to dedicate one`s life to solving the world`s greatest challenges through STEM. This STEM Makers Fest/Expo is different. In today`s workshops, kids get going right away with coding, building, experimenting, and more. We hope these experiences will spark a life-long love of STEM and a strong sense of empowerment. From the factories that produced the Ford Model T automobile to NASA`s lunar landing; from Thomas Edison`s invention of the lightbulb to the ever-emerging innovations of Silicon Valley, the United States has been at the cutting edge of technological discovery. We at the U.S. Embassy are pleased to partner with Hacettepe University and their partners to foster this same spirit of innovation and discovery here in Adiyaman. We thank you for your dedication to STEM and to the students of Adiyaman. Enjoy the festival!

Jen Curatola-Wozniak, U.S. Consulate STEM & Makers Fest and Expo, December 15, 2018, 12:00 p.m, Inonu University Representatives of the Ministry of National Education, İnönü University, and Malatya municipalities, students, teachers, and parents, merhabalar. I am honored to be here in Malatya for the first time for the STEM & Makers Fest and Expo. The room is buzzing with excitement as you anticipate all the exciting skills you will learn – or is that just the whirring of the robots? On behalf of the U.S. Embassy, I`d like to thank all of the partners who made this expo possible – Hacettepe University, Inonu University, Turkish STEM Alliance, STEM News Aggregator, and especially Prof. Gultekin Cakmakci for his steadfast efforts to coordinate this impressive event. Ataturk once said, “Hayatta en hakiki mürşit ilimdir.” How right he was. His words were never truer than they are today. Our world is becoming more and more technological. Our problems are increasingly complex. Even just the next thirty years hold boundless challenges, and your generation will be leading the way to address them. Can humans travel to Mars, and if so, can they tame its harsh environment for tourism or even habitation? What is the consequence of social media on our privacy, friendships, and access to accurate information? How will artificial intelligence impact our lives and our understanding of what it means to be human? We need people with the ingenuity and technical know-how to answer these questions and many more for the next century and beyond. STEM is powerful because it is universal. Mathematics, Javascript, the laws of physics – these languages and principles transcend borders, religions, genders, and other qualities that we use to define ourselves. If you know these skills, you can collaborate with anyone to solve an issue. In fact, having diverse people involved increases the chances you will find a new solution. By fusing your unique perspectives on a particular problem, you are likely to see solutions that no one individual could have discovered on his or her own. Just recently, a Turkish scientist Prof. Dr. Metin Sitti made the news for his invention of nano-robots that can deliver medicines more capably to the site of disease. He completed his PhD in Japan, did research at University of California-Berkley, and taught for 16 years at Carnegie Mellon University. Today he is the Director of the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Germany, and I`m sure his collaboration with Japanese, American, German and other international researchers was a key factor in his success. Unfortunately, the demand for STEM experts still far outpaces the supply. Many students` only exposure to STEM fields are in the classroom—poring over textbooks, memorizing equations, or at best, staring into beakers in dreary laboratories. These experiences aren`t likely to spark the passion and drive necessary to dedicate one`s life to solving the world`s greatest challenges through STEM. That`s why this STEM & Makers Fest and Expo is important. By engaging with STEM in an interactive, hands-on way, kids will feel inspired and empowered at what they can achieve. Hacettepe University and their partners show great vision in bringing hands-on experiences with STEM to students in Malatya and their families. We at the U.S. Embassy are pleased to support them. Teşekkürler. https://www.stemandmakers.org

Projects funded by NSF and other federal agencies share 3-minute videos showcasing their work. Join the conversation with the presenters and vote for your favorites, May 15th - 22nd, 2017.

The tent foundation seeks to improve the lives and livelihoods of the 65 million people who have been forcibly displaced around the globe. we do this by funding direct assistance, investing in innovation, and promoting policies and partnerships to help the displaced realize their full potential.

Singapore, Hong Kong SAR, Korea, Chinese Taipei, and Japan continue outperforming all participating countries in mathematics at the fourth and eighth grades, maintaining a 20 year edge according to results released today from TIMSS, the longest running, large scale international assessment of mathematics and science education in the worl

On December 6, 2016, or PISA Day, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will release the 2015 results from the Programme

Today, the European Commission signed two direct grants worth €600 million to support Syrian refugees and host communities in Turkey in the areas of education and health.

Turkey has been experiencing an economic and cultural transformation under the leadership of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the last decade. Mr. Erdoğan`s government has transformed the country`s infrastructure, economy, health and social services ranging from highways to high-speed trains and air transportation. He has transformed country`s limping health system, making health system more accessible and efficient. Turkey`s per capita GDP (PPP, US$) increased from $8,667 in 2002 to $17,375 in 2012. Improvements to Turkish economy, infrastructure and health care system are not the only successes of Mr. Erdoğan. He tackled country`s most challenging problems; minority rights and influence of military in Turkish politics. He transformed Turkey from being a country where the generals stormed national security meetings to a country where generals worked under the directorship of civil authority. He tackled the Kurdish issue with bold decisions in spite of strong resistance from the arm forces and the majority of public. He dedicated a government-run TV station that now broadcasts in Kurdish 24/7.  He changed the Turkishized Kurdish town names back to Kurdish, allowed for some private schools to operate in Kurdish. He topped that with openly negotiating with PKK, a separatist/armed/terrorist Kurdish movement that has caused tens of thousands of lives since it was founded in 1978 in an effort to end the decades-long conflict. Of course, Mr. Erdoğan did not take this journey alone. He achieved such progress with the help of several allies. These include: reformist senior fellows at Erdogan`s party Justice and Development Party (JDP), Gülen`s influential loyalists in the government and media, liberal democrats and pressure from the Kurdish political party, The Peace and Democracy Party (HDP).  However, over the years this alliance has turned into an ugly partnership that no one is now a part. Mr Erdoğan lost the support of liberal democrats during the Gezi protests. Liberals criticized Erdoğan`s government for taking a harsh stance against Gezi protests. Gezi protests is not the only reason why liberals now oppose Mr. Erdoğan`s government and his policies. Erdoğan has received much criticism because of his increasing commitment to more conservative policies, and ignoring the sensitivities of liberals and seculars. He has cancelled several mass celebrations honoring Ataturk, the founder of modern republic. He has allowed women to go to work with headscarf and attend schools without having to take their headscarf off, and made religious education mandatory in primary schools. While both seculars and liberals alike consider these measures as threat to the secular character of Turkey, Erdogan views these measures as lifting the oppressive policies of the past against committed Muslims. Erdoğan`s partnership with Gülen collapsed because Gulenists were not happy with the peace negotiations that Erdoğan had started with Kurds and their increasing demand for more power within the critical government agencies. Erdoğan`s resistance to their increasing demands increased the intensity of the fight between Erdoğan and Gülen, ending up with a coup attempt against Erdoğan by Gulenists in July of 2016. In this piece, I attempt to provide the context that gave rise to Gülen`s power and influence in Turkey, elaborate on his motivations, and discuss his covert activities in Turkey that led to the failed coup attempt in Turkey. Finally, I present several recommendations that I think will move Turkey in the right direction. Understanding Gülen and his Role in Erdoğan`s Political Success Erdoğan has been dominating the Turkish political landscape for the last 15 years. Erdoğan owes his success partly to the support of liberal Turks, Gülen and conservatives that were fed up with secular Turks` oppressive policies. While liberals and public support played an important role in Erdoğan`s success, their role in this partnership was not as critical as that of Mr. Gülen and his supporters. So, where does Mr. Gülen get his power from and why was his support so critical perceivably to the survival, if not to success of Mr. Erdoğan`s government against Turkish military, a military that perceived its sole mission to guard the secular character of the Turkish republic?  Understanding Gülen movement is important not because of his contributions to the success of Erdoğan`s Turkey, but because of his involvement in a recently planned and failed coup that left Turkey paralyzed and the world in a state of shock. The Gülen Empire Mr. Gülen is a Muslim cleric from the eastern town of Erzurum, pursuing a religious agenda based on the teachings of Said Nursi. He has been recruiting people from all walks of life since 1970s to promote and expand his group`s reach and influence both in Turkey and abroad. His supporters now consist of high profile businessmen, bureaucrats, and sportsmen including Enes Kanter, an NBA star. He is best known in Turkey for operating private schools and “cram schools” that prepare high school students for the university entrance exams. Turkey is not the only country where Mr. Gülen`s supporters operate. He went global after the collapse of Soviet Union in early 90`s. He opened private schools in Turkik countries and expanded his influence in the region. His followers now run about 500 private schools in 150 countries, including, Central-Asia, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan, Taiwan, Canada and Latin America, not to mention, according to some sources, over 150 charter schools that his supporters operate in the United States. Gülen has earned himself fame for identifying, recruiting and educating the brightest students all over Turkey. Because of his schools` success record, politicians and businessmen from different points of political spectrum have sent their kids to these schools, contributing to his reach and influence in Turkey. He has followed the same agenda and strategies abroad as well and with the same success story. Gülen and his followers artfully used the achievements of the students who attended their schools as a marketing tool to influence public opinion about his movement. However, life became difficult for Gulen and his followers in Turkey in 1997. Escaping Prosecution, Gülen moves to the United States Turkey experienced a soft coup in 1997, in which Turkish military forced government to adopt some measures that would allow for close monitoring of all religious activities, ban women to enter schools with head scarf, prevent religious groups such as Gülen`s to openly operate and undermine Turkey` secular character. During this crack down on religious groups in Turkey, Gülen escaped to the United States because he was anticipating to be tried in court over his remarks which implied that he wanted to transform Turkey from being a secular country to one that operated based on Islamic principles by secretly infiltrating into strategic state institutions in Turkey. He has been living in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania since he migrated to the U.S. in 1999. While he physically lives in the U.S. he left his legacy and influence in Turkey. With Erdoğan`s government coming into power in 2002, Gulenists started to openly and more freely operate in Turkey. With Erdogan`s support Gulenists had earned the trust of people both at home and abroad. During Erdogan`s government, his supporters no longer needed to hide their identities, received support from Erdogan and thus became influential bureaucrats in all government departments including high courts, the military, the police, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the intelligence services. Gülen`s power and influence Gülen`s movement heavily invested in education, the media, business and international PR since 1990s. Mr. Gülen and his supporters created an empire over the years consisting of over 1000 highly enrolled and expensive cram schools, and close to 1000 private schools, influential business associations, unions, NGOs, think tanks, which until the famous corruption investigation of 2013, were having significant impact in government operations both at home and abroad. For instance, one of the business associations, TUSKON, that is affiliated with Gülen group had over 50,000 members that represented 140,000 businesses. MÜSİAD, which is very close to Erdoğan and his government, ideologically only had 7,000 members. This example alone shows the power and influence of Gulen in Turkey. His supporters owned Turkey`s “most selling” newspaper, Zaman, including several other influential newspapers and magazines, several national and local TV and radio stations, insurance companies and including a bank; Bank Asya, a bank that became one of the biggest banks in Turkey before government take over. Gulenists invested heavily in PR in foreign countries that they operate in. They organize dinners, special events for high-level politicians, academics, bureaucrats, and religious leaders to convey their message. Through these special events, they build relationships and use these relationships later to earn their trust and thus garner support for their activities. In fact, Gulenists now run a more powerful campaign against Erdoğan in Western capitals than The Turkish government can in support of Erdoğan even today because of his network, resources and influence abroad. Role of Investment in Education in the Rise of Gülen Movement While Gülen now has a great influence in all sectors, the prep schools played a critical role in success of Mr. Gülen`s movement, his reach and influence. He was able to recruit the brightest students by offering them free admission and scholarships, put them in very special and intense prep classes, and with the best teachers. As a result of this specialized method, the graduates of these schools scored very well on the standardized national examinations and were ranked at the very top. However, newspapers now report and a recent investigation reveals that his schools owe much of this success to the cheating ring that his followers established in the national examination institute. Reportedly, his followers stole the exam questions ahead of the exam schedule, practiced the questions with students in their schools, whereby, fabricated and advertised a fake success story to the public to earn respect and expand his influence. He invested the profit that he made from these prep schools to open new private schools, insurance companies, newspapers, magazines and TV stations that shaped public discourse for quite sometime. His influence in the media was so prevalent that he was able to use his media power to convince public of the authenticity of the sham Sledgehammer trial of 2010, a fake trial implemented through fabricated documents, support from the Gülenist lawyers within the judicial system, Gülenists inside the intelligence services, and the police. Gülen Picks up a Fight with Secular Turks to Take Control of the Government Having gained enough power within critical government agencies, and having established a strong network of influential media outlets, Gülenist orchestrated a high profile trial called Ergenekon with the blessing of Erdoğan in 2008 against secular Turkish military. According to prosecution, high rank secular Turks within the government had formed a secularist clandestine organization called Ergenekon to overthrow the government. This trial jailed most secular military generals, some politicians, and high profile journalists and social activists. Journalists who wrote about the ways in which Gülenists infiltrated into the police, military and the judicial system were prosecuted and put behind bars during this trial. We now know that Gülenists artfully planed and orchestrated this sham trial so his followers could get promoted to higher ranks within the military and the judicial system. With secular resistance removed through these trials, his followers were able to easily climb through ranks in critical government agencies. If one studies these trials in depth, he/she will soon to realize that Gülenists` cry for “freedom of press” today is out of desperation, and not because of their respect for freedom of press or commitment to the rule of law. In fact, we have learned during this sham trial that they have shown no respect for the rule of law or freedom of press. Secular Turks were not the only people that the Gulenists targeted. They used their media power, members within the judicial system, and prosecuted Kurdish politicians. They put a significant number of high profile Kurdish politicians behind bars. Kurdish politicians were targeted because they resisted Gulenists` activities and resisted their expansion into the Kurdish region of Turkey. Gülen`s Motivations Now in Question While Mr. Gülen has always kept a low profile in Turkish politics, he is now part of a political debate in Turkey and abroad that he no longer can escape. You guessed it correctly: the failed coup attempt of July 2016. The tension between Gülen and Erdoğan dates back to 2012. Upset with the progress Erdogan had achieved with Kurds to end the decades-long conflict, Gülenists attempted to jail the head of Turkish secret services using their power in the judicial system. If Erdogan had not used his executive power to stop the investigation, Gülenists would had been successful in prosecuting the head of intelligent services, Mr. Hakan Fidan for negotiating with Kurds. Gülenists did not stop there. They used their power within the high courts of Turkey and staged the famous 17-25 December corruption probe that sacked several high-rink officials, including several ministers. While the Western world focused on the corruption aspects of this trial, the ultimate goal of this investigation of course was to prosecute Erdoğan, put him behind bars, and cause the fall of the government. This was necessary for them to more effectively pursue their agenda and ultimately take over of the critical government agencies. They were so coordinated between the lawyers, the police and secret services that they caught Erdoğan and his followers off guard. Erdoğan fought back by quickly passing several laws in the parliament to reduce the influence of Gülenists within the judicial system and the police to escape further prosecution. These measures, of course, received harsh criticism from the Western world. Gülenists used the corruption probe, and the measures he took after the investigation as a pretext to demonize Erdoğan and his government, and through international support and effective PR, pressure Erdoğan to resign. Western media outlets started to paint Erdogan as an autocrat because of the regressive measures he had taken to save his government from the Gulenist attacks. During this time, Gülenists run an active and effective social media campaign against Erdoğan. They released secret government records and Erdogan`s recorded sensitive phone conversations to paint him as a corrupt politician so he would lose this political support. Politicians are not immune to corruption. We know that most politicians are corrupt, and Turkey is not an exception. In fact, Erdogan still owes Turkish people a fair and transparent corruption investigation. However, the focus of this article is not corruption itself but a cult like organization that has brought Turkey to its knees in the past 5-6 years because of its ambition for power and Erdoğan`s resistance against their further advancement within strategic government agencies. Erdoğan`s Fight against Gülen and his Challenges Erdoğan has been fighting the Gülenists since 2012. However, this fight has not been easy. Because Gülenists were able to artfully use their international connections, media and PR power to influence Western governments` and media`s opinion and use this support to fight back. They have been successful at influencing public opinion partly because the seculars seized the opportunity and collaborated with Gülenists, mostly because of Gülenists` media power in an effort to get rid of Erdoğan. Seculars believed that if they got Gülenists` media power behind, they could easily confront Erdoğan and his policies deemed to undermine the secular character of the republic. Gülenists did not stop there. They reached out to Kurds as well in an effort to expand a coalition of unhappy against Erdogan. They were able to form an alliance with Kurdish political party because they opened their resources, mainly their media outlets to their service. Because Gülenists artfully formed an alliance that consisted of seculars and Kurds, West`s trust in their arguments and support for their cause got stronger. West failed to recognize the danger that Gülenists posed to their most trusted ally in the region of world that presented most complexity and challenge to the West, at least to the NATO members. Gülen attacked Erdoğan at a moment in history in which he was most vulnerable. The tension between Erdoğan and seculars had escalated with the famous Gezi protests. Moreover, Erdogan`s silence on calls for a transparent trial of corruption claims had upset many Turks. Similarly, Erdoğan was starting to have a bitter relationship with Kurds. The developments in northern Syria, ISIS`s advancement in Northern Syria and threat that they posed to Kurds, and Erdoğan`s resistance to provide Kurds with military support to fight ISIS complicated Erdoğan`s alliance with Kurds and cost Turkey the peace with Kurds. While Erdoğan opened Turkish borders to Iraqi Kurds to deliver most needed military support to the Kurds of Kobani, Kurds were convinced that Erdoğan really did not want them to make any progress against ISIS. It was not that Erdogan did not want Kurds to make progress against ISIS, he wanted the Syrian Kurds to cooperate with him in their fight against ISIS. Erdoğan knew well that if the Kurds made significant progress in Syria that could have serious implications for his own Kurds at home. Nevertheless, in the process, Erdoğan earned a new enemy, Kurds. Of course, Gülenists actively took part in demonizing Erdoğan through use of the influential media outlets they owned, including the most sold daily Zaman, their TV stations STV and Bugün. Beating all odds, Gülenist TVs started to host Kurdish politicians and gave them prime air time in an effort to earn Kurd`s support. Gülenists were able to successfully earn Kurd`s respect during the process. Months after Kobani was rescued from ISIS, Erdoğan was forced to start a fresh fight with Kurds in the eastern part of Turkey, which officially ended the peace process. PKK forces took to the streets, and attempted to kidnap government authority. The majority of civilians were forced to leave their homes due to PKK`s fight to take control of several Kurdish cities. While Erdoğan blames PKK, PKK blames Erdoğan for the start of the fight. Some preliminary evidence now point fingers at Gulenists within the police for setting up the context for the event that led to the break up of the peace process with Kurds. Erdogan`s relationships with his NATO allies were not going well either because of their disagreements over how to approach the Syrian conflict. While Erdogan insisted on a no-fly zone in northern Syria to stop ISIS`s progress and an urgent plan for removal of Assad, NATO insisted on arming Kurds in the fight against ISIS and ignored Erdogan`s call for removal of Assad. This disagreement escalated over the following months. At this point, Erdogan was frustrated with West`s response to the Syrian crisis, and West was frustrated with Erdogan about his concerns about Kurd`s advancement in Syria and insistence on removal of Assad. Erdogan is now Contained both at Home and Abroad At this point, Erdoğan was contained both at home and abroad. Liberal Democrats, Seculars, Gülenists and Kurds had joined forces to challenge Erdoğan`s increasingly authoritarian policies, his fight against PKK, and resistance to make progress on Turkey`s journey to the full membership into the European Union. Erdoğan was receiving harsh criticism from all parties. While liberals, seculars and Kurds were fighting Erdoğan`s policies, Gülenists were seizing the opportunity to form new alliances from the entire political spectrum, ranging from HDP, the Kurdish nationalist party, to the MHP, the ultra nationalist Turkish party of all, to strengthen their resistance and fight against Erdoğan. While the alliance between Gülenists and the unhappy was in progress, Erdoğan was reporting success in his fresh fight against PKK in the eastern towns of Turkey, earning trust of ultra nationalists. Kurds, tired of years of fighting were also turning their back to the Kurdish political party, HDP for their role in supporting PKK`s violence in Kurdish cities that turned some towns into ghost towns and, PKK for ending the peace process. Gülenists were betting on Kurds to weaken Erdoğan`s power, but they noticed that even their alliance with Kurds was not strong enough to weaken Erdoğan`s power. Perhaps this is what motivated Gülenists to ultimately plan and stage a coup against Erdoğan, as this was their last escape. How did Erdoğan, An Early Reformist, Become an “Authoritarian” Leader? Gülenists partnerships with the seculars and Kurds achieved one goal that Gülenist had been longing for. That is painting Erdoğan as an “authoritarian leader”, a corrupt politician, someone who is against everything that the West stood for, someone who hated Kurds and someone who had no progressive agenda for Turkey`s journey to the full EU membership. Through this alliance and effective PR, they were able to influence public opinion abroad as well. For instance, BBC did not hesitate to write “Turkey`s ruthless Leader”, The Economist did not hesitate to call Erdogan a Tyrant. NewYork Times did not hesitate to write “Erdoğan followers are sheep, they will do whatever he says” in its editorial, The Independent wrote this piece as if Erdoğan was taking Turkey back to 1990s. Erdoğan indeed has been leaning towards adopting a more conservative agenda in recent years, however, Western media and Europe`s resistance to Turkey`s progress towards full membership should get its share of blame for these tendencies. As the Western media and politicians increased the intensity of their pressure, Erdoğan sought refuge in a conservative, nationalist agenda to stay stronger at home. In fact, it was this agenda that saved him from Gülen`s attacks at home and the fall of his government as well as his victory against PKK more recently. Western media, academics and politicians bought into the “Autocratic Erdogan” story and increased their support for Gülenists both at home and abroad. Another reason why the Western media, academics and politicians were convinced of Gülenists` accounts of Erdoğan story is that he has a wide network of NGOs in the US, European countries, Africa and the Middle East. Moreover, they work with most prestigious PR companies to expand Gülen`s agenda, recruit public support and acquire resources for his movement. A recent report by BBC clearly shows how Gülenists work and do not hesitate to pour dollars to shape public opinion. According to claims in this report, Gulenists had funded, a conservative British senator, Sir Edward Garnier to write a report in which he harshly criticized Turkey. They have sponsored similar measures in the U.S as well. For instance, they have convinced several US senators to advocate for Gülen`s activities both in the U.S and abroad and express their concerns about the governments` purge against Gulenists. Gulen`s Motivations and PR campaign One thing that the West must understand is that Gülenists do not only invest in education, they do so for a reason: to influence their sphere of influence and to garner political support and resources for their activities both at home and abroad. For instance, they run a Turkish Cultural Center in every major US city that has a prominent university or college. They organize fancy dinners for high level politicians, academics and businessmen and organize cultural events in which they paint themselves as “moderate Muslims” to secure political and financial support for their activities. They invite governors, priests, Rabbis, businessmen to these events. Arrange and sponsor tours to Turkey for governors, politicians, academics and businessmen in an effort to earn their trust, defy criticism around their secrecy and to receive support for promoting their agenda in host countries. Finally, because his followers graduate from prestigious schools and afford to attend schools in foreign countries, most Turkish bureaucrats working in Turkish embassies were to large extent followers of Gülen. Over the years, they had secured the trust of journalists, academics and politicians they interacted with. Some of these bureaucrats, and academics that are close to Gülen, built on this trust and used this network`s influence abroad to convince the West of an “Autocratic Erdoğan” narrative. If you conduct a content analyses of articles published in the Western papers in recent 3-4 years you will hear nothing but the “Autocratic Erdoğan” story. (To read more on this read Ezgi Basaran`s column, a secular columnist). After providing a rather lengthy context, we must turn to our original questions: Is Gülen behind the coup? 2.Is the crack down on Gülenists in judicial system, military, academia and other government agencies legitimate? Gülen`s Involvement in the Failed Coup Lets start with the first question: Is Gülen behind the coup? A content analysis of articles that have been published, confessions from putschits, and statements released from all political parties in Turkey are pointing to one person “Gülen”. (e.g., see Akyol, a former Gülen loyalist). This suspicion is based on solid reasons. Here is why? Gülen has pursued an active and effective agenda to infiltrate into critical government agencies. He has specifically targeted military, judicial system, the police, academia and secret services. His followers were able to enter military schools in spite of resistance from within the military. Reportedly, they were told not to pray, and if necessary drink alcohol, and only marry women who did not wear head scarf. This is how they were able to successfully remain and advance in the critical state agencies, most importantly the military and the judicial system. It is because of the secretive nature of the movement that they were able to climb through ranks and gain enough power within the military, despite Turkish military`s strict secular agenda and active fight to stop Islamists` infiltration into the military. Gülenists has achieved similar success in other critical state agencies as well. Erdogan should get his share of blame for Gulenists activities within the government and ability collect enough power to stage a coup against country`s democracy. After Erdoğan secured power, and diminished army`s resistance against its political agenda, post Sledgehammer trial, Gülenists were promoted to higher ranks within the military (see more on this in Ergin`s column in Hurriyet). By then, Erdoğan had handed the judicial system, the ministry of foreign affairs and the police to the Gülenists in its entirety. It was known to every Turk that most members of both the judicial system and police were Gülenists. If they needed to solve their problems, they knew that they needed to reach out to a civil Gülenist leader not the judges, not the police, as they were believed to receive their orders from civil Gülenist leaders. Through the strong networks that they had established within the government, they threatened companies that did not contribute funds to the Gülenist institutions or those who resisted their activities. (To read more about this harassment, read Binnaz Toprak`s study). Every Turkish citizen experienced pressure from Gülenists; some for promotion within the government agencies, others to escape his followers` harassment and prosecution. It is well known in Turkey that the promotions within critical government agencies were not done based on qualifications of candidates but based primarily on candidate`s associations with Gülen`s organization, or their abilities to contribute to his cause. This has caused a lot of resentment among Seculars, Alevis, a religious minority and Kurds especially. Arguably, they were the ones who were most discriminated against by Gülenists within government agencies. That power and hierarchical organization within the government agencies is what gave Gülenists the motivation and confidence to open a corruption investigation against Erdoğan`s government in 2013 and stage a coup against the country in 2016. According to media reports, Gülenists make up at least about 40 percent of the generals and more than 50% of the high court judges. It is Gülenists` scale of infiltration within the government that makes the level of crack down against Gülenists concerning. The same is true on Western media`s reporting on free journalism in Turkey. Gülenists` owned some of the most influential media outlets in Turkey, and used that power to fight Erdoğan and paint Erdogan as an oppressor. Without acknowledging the scale of Gülenists` presence in the media, concerns about scale of Erdoğan`s crack down on Turkish media is problematic. Western Media`s Problem and Causes of Erdoğan`s Difficulty in Appealing to the West Westerners, especially, those who are critics of Erdoğan find it hard to believe that Gülenists would have gained enough power within the government to brave a coup against Erdoğan. Therefore, most Western media outlets were too quick to reach the conclusion that Erdoğan himself had planned and implemented the coup to secure enough votes for the presidency with execute power that he has been longing for. Bowen wrote, “The purge looks too far-reaching, too organized and too big to have been a quick reaction to the attempt on his power” in a piecehe wrote in the statesmen post-coup. Western media`s bias in its reporting of the attempted coup has been documented and voiced by long time critics of Erdoğan (see Akyol and Basaran). It was not the media alone that turned their back to Erdogan post coup. U.S Secretary of state John Kerry and European Union threatened Turkey with ending Turkey`s NATO membership if the government did not follow rule of law in its treatment to the coup plotters without showing empathy or support for a government that barely escaped a coup.  European Union foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini acted quickly and said, “Turkey`s bid for EU membership could be at stake if Turkey did not adhere to the rule of law in its treatment of coup plotters.” Turks from all political orientations were in a state of shock after learning that their Western allies did not stand up for the legitimate government; instead they were pressing Turkey to be nice to the coup plotters. In fact, European`s reaction to the coup has been criticized by Carl Bildt, former president of Sweden, also co-chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations in a piece he wrote for the politico. Carl wrote, “Europe has failed to defend its political ideal in Turkey”. He argued, “Instead of congratulating the people of Turkey for defeating a brutal coup and sit down with the Turkish leaders, Europe threatened Turkey with ending their bid for EU membership”. He wrote, “There is no question that Turkey has the right to, and indeed must, take measures to safeguard itself against forces trying to topple its constitutional order” and urged Europe to show empathy for Turkish government. This lack of empathy for Turkey had many Turks question West`s possible role in the attempted coup and their commitment to democratic values. I attribute Western colleagues and friends` biased reaction to the Turkish coup to the Western media`s biased reporting of the events. Erdoğan and his supporters face a major challenge in explaining themselves to the Western world. There is a reason for this difficulty. Due to his crack down on Gülenist media, Westerners have lost faith in Erdoğan, therefore, they reach out to few critics to gauge the country`s heart beats for which they ended up getting very biased, in some cases skewed readings of what is happening in Turkey. Western media fails to recognize the size of Gülen`s media outlets and his reach through his media empire. They publish journals and newspapers that appeal to a wide range of audience and political spectrum. For instance, they used to publish Taraf, a liberal media organization that played a critical role in the sham Sledgehammer trial of 2010. The size of Gülen`s media power gives Westerners the perception that Erdoğan is cracking down on all media outlets in Turkey. It is important to note Erdoğan`s own interest in creating his own media empire so he has control over public opinion but that should not distract us from Gülen`s overwhelming presence in media and his reach through media. For one, Western colleagues and friends should understand that Gülen is no pro freedom of speech or free press. In fact, Gülenists have used their power in the judicial system to jail some prominent secular journalists in Turkey just because they were in the process of writing books that would have exposed Gülen`s power in the judicial system, police force and the military. In fact they have used their media power to influence public opinion, and garner support for the soft coup attempts through fabricated evidence in 2010 (see Basaran). Western world has earned itself fame for establishing, protecting and advocating for freedoms, therefore, they are very sensitive to any attacks on freedoms. While Turkey has achieved some progress in this department during Erdoğan`s early years, Turkey`s reform agenda slowed after the famous 17-25 corruption investigation that Gülenists staged against Erdoğan`s government in 2013. Knowing the power of Gülenists within the judicial system, Erdoğan dropped his reform agenda, and quickly passed several laws to save himself and members of his cabinet from Gülenists` unexpected attacks. It was through these laws that he was able to stop the fall of his government and Gülenists` take over of the government. Of course, Western media, and politicians expressed their concerns about the measures that Erdoğan was taking to save his country`s faith from a cult`s thirst for power. Because of the urgency of the situation, and the level of threat posed by Gülenists within critical government agencies, measures taken by Erdoğan did not fit well within West`s framework of freedoms and hurt Erdoğan`s reformists image. Therefore, Erdoğan has been target of Westerners` intense criticism since this trial. In Western world`s eye, the reformist Erdoğan had turned into an authoritarian leader. They failed to realize that it was the distractions at home, mostly his fight with Gulenists within the state that slowed his reform agenda down. Taking advantage of Western world`s sensitivity to the expression of freedoms, free press and human rights, Gülenists managed to dictate the discourse of an “Autocratic Erdoğan” in the West but most important West fell for this. All of a sudden, Gülenists became the only news or commentary sources for the Western journalists and through them Gülenists pushed their agenda and persuaded the West of an autocratic Erdoğan story. Gülenists, the Coup, and the Purge Turkey was shaken by an unexpected and brutal coup attempt on the night of July 15, 2016. The failed coup attempt left over 250 people dead and over 2000 wounded. There is now consensus among Turkish public, security experts and politicians that Gülen`s followers are to blame for this brutal coup. In response to the failed coup attempt and the role that Gülenists played in planning and implementing the coup, the government has started a purge against Gülenists within critical government organizations. Through this purge, government has detained thousands of military personnel; tens of thousand of Gulenists within critical state agencies have been released of duties, most visibly those within the judicial system, police force and academia. Government has only recently seized 35 medical centers, 934 schools, 109 dorms, 104 foundations, and 15 universities in Turkey alone. Government had taken over their bank, TV stations and newspapers in a previous probe. It has been argued that his seized assets valued over $50 billion in Turkey alone. Declaration of the state of emergency in light of deadly coup, and the arrests associated with the failed coup attempt has caught Westerners` attention. Most Western journalists, human rights advocates and academics have criticized the measures that Erdoğan and his government took against Gülenists. Considering the size of crack down, one can understand these concerns. We all should be concerned that those detained receive a fair and transparent trial and that torture is not a yes or no question. However, one must also understand that, this is a fight against a secretive network that has planned, coordinated and implemented a lethal and ruthless coup against Turkish people and the democracy they have embraced. They have bombed innocent people causing death of over 200 civilians, and over 2000 wounded. Most important, they ruthlessly targeted civilians with tank fire (To read more on the brutality of putschits see this piece). They bombed the parliament, security headquarters and the presidential palace. The elected president of Turkey, Erdoğan barely escaped a planned assassination. They flew jets for hours over the cities causing fear and psychological stress among children. Perhaps, what Westerns colleagues and friends do not seem to comprehend is the scale of Gülen`s infiltration and his influence in the critical state agencies. Perhaps it is the naivity of our Western colleagues about the scale of Gülenists` infiltration into the state and media, that cause them to criticize Erdoğan for the scale of crack down that he has pursued post-failed coup attempt. As Ezgi Basaran a secular Turkish journalist, has elegantly explained in her article it is hard to trace this network within the state as they hide their identities, and work secretly. Therefore, government is taking harsh measures to avoid another possible catastrophic event. Because Western journalists and academia is so invested in Erdoğan story, they oversee or fail to acknowledge Gülen`s covert activities that serve his larger agenda and the level of threat his followers pose to the state of Turkey. In an effort to help our Western colleagues and friends to comprehend the complexity of the issue, I present and elaborate on the ways in which Gülen Inc. operates within the state and builds his legacy by kidnapping our naivity and good intentions through his effective PR activities. What Should Our Western Friends Know About Gülen? First, we must question Gülen`s motivations. For one, our Western colleagues and friends should understand that Gülen in no way is someone who cares about education or socioeconomic mobilization of poor kids through education or promotion of a peaceful world through interfaith dialogue. Gülen has been exploiting poor, yet smart kids (most vulnerable) and the interfaith dialogue as a venue to build himself a fame. His followers consider him messiah, who is sent by God to save the world from the evil. Education of poor struggling kids has never been on his agenda because they can offer little for his desperate journey to power. His followers never invested in the education of struggling poor kids unless it served their cause. For instance, his interest in opening charter schools in the US is based on charter schools` potential to earn him respect in the U.S. and allow him to freely operate in the U.S, not because of his genuine interest in the education of poor kids. Moreover, reports from respected newspapers show that these schools use taxpayer money to favor businesses close to the Gulen movement. See this piece published in New York Times on the matter in 2011. Gülen has established foundations all over the world with a focus on the interfaith dialogue and tolerance. He masks his intentions by painting himself as a scholar committed to promoting a moderate version of Islam and someone who is genuinely interested in promoting a positive dialogue between Muslims and other faiths. Gulen`s interfaith dialogue argument is just a PR tool for him to expand his influence and garner political support for his covert activities in non-Muslim countries. Second, Gülen built a success story built on systematic cheating practices. Western colleagues and friends should not lose the side of the fact that he has built a success story not based on fairness and hard work but based partly on his ability to artfully steal and share exam questions with his followers. His followers have been part of cheating scandals in university entrance exams, military school entrance exams, judicial system entrance and promotion exams. The same cheating habits of Gülenists persist in academia as well. For instance, leaked evidence suggests that Gülenists were handed English proficiency exam questions so they could pass the exam and unfairly get promoted at the expense of hard working academics. We now know that some of the judges and prosecutors who are released of their duties are in these positions not because of their success records but because of Gülenists` cheating practices and because of their allegiance to Gülen. By infiltrating his followers into the National Examination Institute, his followers were able to steal and share the exam questions to his followers before the exams were conducted. In fact, the government cancelled few national exams after it found the traces of Gülenists` cheating ring. Gur has written about the cases of this cheating scandal at the national level in his 2013 column and in a recent column published in the Times Higher Education. Third, Gülenists use scare tactics and blackmailing to silence critics. A close reading of Gülen`s success story in Turkey shows that cheating, bullying and masking is a culture among Gülenists. Gülen`s followers have been unfairly promoted within critical government agencies. They have used several scare tactics, and blackmailing to assume high positions within critical government agencies. It is only through these tactics that he has been able to kidnap the judicial system, the military and the police force. For instance, it was Gülenists within the judicial system who prosecuted journalists, military personnel and put them behind bars for years, separated them from their children and families through fabricated evidence so he could advance his agenda of taking over the government. For instance, Western media fails to acknowledge the brutal ways in which his followers prosecuted a female social activist Turkan Saylan, whose only purpose was to recruit and educate girls from improvised neighborhoods in Turkey and provide them with a secular education. They either miss or fail to acknowledge that his followers staged an all-out war against all secular foundations, social activists using his judicial power within the state and his media power. Similarly, they put many Kurdish politicians behind bars simply because they were limiting their educational (assimilation) activities in Kurdish regions of Turkey. Forth, Gulen made strategic investment in and effective use of the media. Gülenists were able to cause all of these unfairness, injustices and brutality partly because they owned several influential media outlets that are now the target of government crack down. They are so artful in cheating that they disguised public by faking the number of newspaper copies sold daily. For instance, at one point Turkey`s best selling daily, ZAMAN sold over 1 million on paper. We now know that it only had a readership of a little over 200,000 as opposed to the advertised 1 million. They would harras businesses, teachers and government employees to buy ZAMAN. They make big businesses close to them to purchase multiple copies to soar the number of copies sold so they can influence public opinion. A business owner that I know well once told me that they would leave five copies at his business everyday against his will and come ask for a subscription fee at the end of each month. He felt that he needed to purchase their daily ZAMAN, because he feared prosecution from his followers within the government. The level of fear caused by this harassment is well documented in Toprak`s report. I encourage our Western colleagues and friends to keep in mind the size of Gulenists` media ownership, when they react to reports of freedom of press in Turkey. Understanding the Complexity of the Post-Coup Measures First, what ciritics should understand is that these academics, judges and military personals are part of a secret, well-coordinated and intentional organization that has paralyzed Turkey for the last 8 years. Their commitment to Gülen`s power agenda and total submission to his authority makes Turkey vulnerable to future catastrophic events at the national level. Turkey cannot afford more vulnerabilities stemming from Gülen`s hidden agenda and his followers` commitment to Gülen and as evidenced in the recent coup, the lethal outcomes of such obedience and commitment. Second, these academics are not being prosecuted because their freedoms of expression have been limited, they are being prosecuted based on the suspicion that they may have been member of this brutal cult and part of this well-coordinated effort aiming the fall of a legitimate government. Moreover, it is important to note that these administrators and academics have been temporarily released of their duties until an internal investigation proves that they have no connections to Gülen`s cult and the coup reportedly planned by Gulenists.   Third, judges have been released of their duties, and some have been arrested based on suspicion that they have or may have been part of a failed coup attempt that has cost Turkey more than 200 lives, billions of dollars, let alone the injustices that they have caused during their posts. Keeping them in power during this crisis will make the legitimate government vulnerable. Most of the judges who have been released of their duties or prosecuted are those who led the sham Sledgehammer trial of 2010 and the 17-25 corruption trial. Government is just taking precautions in an attempt to rid the government of the members of this secretive cult. For instance, the Gülenist prosecutors and judges of now infamous sham Sledgehammer trial are now on the run and escape trial related to their efforts to prosecute secular journalists, and military personnel through fabricated evidence. Forth, his schools have been targeted because this is from where he gets his strength. He recruits and brain washes smart students and makes them slave to his ideologies through these institutions. If the government lets these schools operate the way they have in the past, they will continue to recruit, brainwash and infiltrate into most critical government agencies, making Turkey vulnerable yet again. What government has done is turning Gülen ‘s publicly funded private schools to the public schools. Fifth, journalists are targeted not because “freedom of expression” is the target of government investigations but because these journalists actively work to influence public opinion and save Gülen from well-deserved criticism and possible prosecution for his role in the planning and execution of the failed coup. That, of course does not mean that Erdoğan should not be pressured to do more in the freedom of expression department. We should not let Gülenists use our sensitivities towards freedom of expression, rule of law and free press to his advantage. We should be able to escape his well-crafted PR propaganda. Where is Turkey Heading? Lessons Learned and What to Do Moving Forward? Turkish people`s commitment to democratic values as evidenced by all political parties` strong condemnation of the failed coup attempt has saved Turkey from free fall. Contrary to Western media`s narrative, Turkey is now destined to a bright future. Turkish people left their political affiliations at home and gathered at one of the World`s largest political rallies in Istanbul. According to the news sources, close to 3 million people attended this rally in defense of democracy. Leaders from all sides of political spectrum attended and spoke at the rally showing to the world once again Turkey`s commitment to democracy. While Turkey is destined to a bright future, that is not going to come easy. Everyone is going to need to reflect on their political agenda and assume responsibilities around common interests and shared values. First, Mr. Erdogan should give up on his polarizing language and unproductive discourse around internal problems. Instead, he should embrace a new and inclusive language that is well received by all. In fact, he has shown such signs. For instance, he has reached out to the opposition leaders and has had conversations with them about a new constitution, has invited them to the historical rally against the coup. He should promote policies that attend to the sensitivities of diverse sects of Turkish society. For instance, he should attend to the concerns of the majority of Turkish society and ensure them that he is not pursuing a religious agenda that will change the secular character of the Turkish republic. In fact, only a small fraction of his followers would want Turkey to take that route anyways. Second, Erdogan should restart his reform programs focusing on minority rights. To give him credit, he has done a lot in supporting Turkish Christian and Jewish communities. However, he has not achieved such success with his local minority groups; namely Kurds and Alevis. He should restart the peace process with Kurds to end the internal conflict that is getting out of hand. He should also restart his open negotiations with Alevis, a Muslim minority group that has been deprived of government resources because of their official status since the establishment of the Turkish Republic. While Erdogan made an effort to address their needs, they never reached an agreement on a final proposal that would have addressed this minority group`s concerns and demands. In fact, this reform agenda got dropped, after Erdogan got distracted with the corruption probe of 2013 led by Gulenist lawyers within the judicial system. Third, Erdogan should get back with his EU membership agenda. Disappointed by EU`s treatment of Turkey`s membership process, Erdogan has recently voiced the possibility of backing up from pursuing Turkey`s journey to the full EU membership. Academics, journalists and political parties should keep Erdoğan under pressure at home and abroad so that he does not deviate from the roadmap to full EU membership, a membership that Turkey has been longing for 60 years. However, EU should get its share of blame for continuing to slow Turkey`s journey to the full membership. Forth, EU and US should deliver as well. The European Union and the US should facilitate Turkey`s more speedy progress towards the full EU membership by providing resources and maintaining pressure for adherence to democratic values and rule of law. The majority of Turks, including secular Turks are in agreement with Erdogan about the EU` double standards around Turkey`s bid for the full EU membership. If the EU wants to earn the trust of Turks once again, they should help Turkey move in the right direction by giving Turkey a fair chance not discouragement. In addition, the EU and US should pressure Kurds and Erdoğan alike to end the ongoing conflict and facilitate a sustainable solution that will meet Kurds desire to become autonomous and respect Turkey`s Unity. A Turkey that is busy with its fight against PKK, the Kurdish terrorist organization, cannot afford to pass laws that will make the country`s security vulnerable. Therefore, the EU and the US should put more pressure on PKK to abandon their armed struggle against Turkey and engage in peaceful negotiations with Turkey. While the EU has voiced its concerns about laws that limit freedoms of expression on the Kurdish issue, they have not done their due responsibilities in pressing PKK to stop the violence. PKK violence is detrimental to Kurds as well. Kurdish children are deprived of quality education because of PKK`s violence, Kurdish businesses are deprived of financial resources because of their associations with PKK, limiting the quality of life in Kurdish dominated cities. Finally, PKK violence is undermining the power and arguments of the Kurdish political party HDP that has achieved great success under the leadership of Selahattin Demirtas. Unless the PKK violence is contained, the EU should not expect Turkey to take pro freedom measures as such measures are often abused by PKK to recruit Kurdish children for terrorist activities and expand its sphere of influence in the region. Moreover, European Union and the US should show sympathy for a country that has been witnessing two wars at its borders for the last 20 years. Similarly, they should understand that a country that is busy hosting 3 million Syrian refugees and dealing with the challenges they pose can only achieve so much progress in its effort to develop new reform programs. EU`s own struggle with Syrian refugees and the discussions it has generated in the EU shows the difficulty of the situation. Fifth, West should cooperate with Erdogan. West must recognize that EU cannot make Turkey more democratic by alienating Erdoğan. They can achieve more through cooperation with him. Erdoğan`s early years have shown us that when the West respects Erdoğan`s legitimate power, and cooperates with him, he is more akin to pursuing a progressive political agenda that will help Turkey make greater progress towards its journey to the full EU membership.  I am confident that a reformist Erdogan will re-emerge if the EU and US help Turkey address the internal problems; containing the PKK violence, dealing with the effects of the attempted coup and accommodating the socioeconomic needs of 3 million Syrian refugees hosted by Turkey. The more the EU and the US alienate Erdoğan, the wider and deeper his reach gets and not always for the better. This alienation leads Erdoğan to do two things: 1) to seek new alliances abroad and 2) to stick to a more conservative agenda at home, none of which help mend the bitter relationships between the West and Erdoğan. Rather, this alienation is causing a break up. Will the West give Turkey a hand? Answer to this question will determine the future of Turkey and its relationships with the West. More importantly, the progress we make on the fight against terrorism in the Middle East. References: Arango, T. & Yeginsu, C. Erdogan Triumphs After Coup Attempt, but Turkey`s Fate Is Unclear, New York Times July 17, 2016. Avci, H. (2010). Haliç'te Yaşayan Simonlar: Dün Devlet Bugün Cemaat. Angora. Avci, H. Devleti kim yönetiyor, Hürriyet Basaran, E. Thinking Gülen is a peaceful scholar is a huge mischaracterization.Hurriyet Daily News Web, August 4 2016. Basaran, E. Turkey coup: Who was behind Turkey coup attempt?, BBC Web, July 16, 2016. Bildt, C. Europe, Stand Up for Erdogan, PoliticoEurope, August 2, 2016. Dearden, L. President Erdogan says freedom and democracy have 'no value' in Turkey amid arrests and military crackdown. The Independent Web, 18 March, 2016. Gumus, S., & Gur, B. Turkey purge: why the government is clamping down on universities, July 26, 2016. Hurriyet Daily. Bir Astsubayin Itiraflari Humire, J. Charter Schools Vulnerable to Controversial Turkish Movement, March 10, 2016. Norman, L. In Europe, Some Contemplate a New Kind of Relationship With Turkey, August 4, 2016. Rodrick, D. What Turkey`s political-military trials reveal about the country`s democracy, April 24, 2012. Shehzade, M. Shameful Examples of Western Media Reporting on Turkey Coup.Muslim Matters, Web, July 16, 2016. Singer, P., & Firozi,P. &Turkish faith movement secretly funded 200 trips for lawmakers and staff. October 29, 2015. Ulsever, C. Gülen Cematine Acik Mektup. Hurriyet Daily, December 24, 2008, Kongar, E.  Mikrofasizmden, Makro Totalilerlige, Cumhuriyet,  27 January, 2009/ Saul, S. https://mobile.nytimes.com/2011/06/07/education/07charter.html?_r=0New York Times, June 6, 2011. Toprak, B.(2009). Turkiye`de farkli olmak: Din ve Muhafazakarlik ekseninde otekilestirilenler. Metis. Toprak, B. Binnaz Toprak: Mahalle baskısı ikiyüzlülüğe neden oluyor!Retrieved from: https://tetrailetisim.com/kategori/tetra-blog/49309/binnaz-toprak-mahalle-baskisi-ikiyuzluluge-neden-oluyor

Adam Laats and Harvey Siegel provide a highly readable historical overview of the evolution-creationism controversy in their new book Teaching Evolution in a Creation Nation. Evolution is not just another scientific topic for many students. The fact that learning about evolutionary theory has cultural and religious implications for defining one`s identity makes the publication of this book important for secular and non-secular people alike.

Ikea's Funny Ad Imagines a 17th-Century Version of Instagramming Food. Message Is to Relax, Not Compete, in the Home

This has got to be one of the best ads we have ever seen. Absolutely magical!

Application deadline: 11/09/2016 Starting date: November 1st 2016 or as agreed.

There are two weeks left to apply for our Science Communication programme at Rhine-Waal University. Compared to other programmes which either focus on science journalism or train researchers in communication skills, our emphasis is more on socio-political aspects and on issues of institutional governance in science communication.

The mascil project is possessing a great success in Turkey. This is due to an excellent dissemination work on many different levels like teacher workshops, conferences, media coverage or diverse cooperation with different stakeholders.