Jakarta, (Antara) - The Indonesian government can play an important role in helping create a peaceful situation in Turkey through political and diplomatic approaches, a spokesman for Turkish opposition leader Fethullah Gulen, Alp Aslandogan, said.
"The mass media in Turkey cannot be expected to take on that role because they are currently under the control of the government politically," said Aslandogan in a statement received by Antara here Thursday.
The statement was a translation of manuscript as a result of an interview of the Indonesian journalists with Turkey's charismatic cleric, Fethullah Gulen, who spoke in the Turkish language during the interview on August 22 in Pennsylvania, the United States.
"The public and the media in Turkey cannot criticize the government. Therefore Indonesia and other countries can help encourage the Turkish government to fulfill agreements with international organizations including the European Union on human rights, "said Alp Aslandogan.
"Enough is enough for the Turkish people who face tragedies which have made them suffer. If this condition persists, any government will not last long, "said Aslandogan who is also the executive director of Alliance for Shared Values, an organization engaged in education, culture, economy, and human health in the United States.
Related to the possibility of reconciliation between Fethullah Gulen and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Gulen's another spokesman Osman Oztoptrak said there was no reason for Fethullah Gulen to reconcile because he did not make any mistake especially related to the failed coup on July 15, 2016.
"The Turkish government cannot prove that Fethullah Gulen was involved in the incident. Related to Erdogan's demand to the US government to extradite Gulen, he (Erdogan) cannot even give evidence that Gulen was involved in the incident, "said Osman.
Meanwhile in an interview with the Indonesian journalists, Gulen warned Erdogan not to attempt to silence the people who wish to criticize the government as they need better condition in Turkey.
"Secondly, do not manipulate public opinion and do not scare the next generation, especially young people, only because the government wants no more opposition in the future," said Gulen who is now in exile in Pennsylvania, the United States.
The 78-year-old cleric who is suffering from complications of diseases also said that measures such as the eradication of the opposition, imprisoning people and frightening young people who then they fled from Turkey will only make a tyranny government.
Answering journalists' question on whether Gulen and Erdogan will return as friends one day, Gulen said, "we were never together.
He was the one who began the animosity and hostility. I do not hold an attitude like that towards anyone".
Gulen who until now remains single lives in a camp owned by a foundation named Golden Generation in Pennsylvania since 1999 after being accused of trying to overthrow the Turkish government.(*)
