World Bulletin / News Desk A columnist for Turkey's Zaman newspaper, which is owned by congregation leader Fethullah Gulen's Hizmet Movement, described the series of 'anti-graft' operation since December 17 as a coup attempt in an interview, which was published on Monday. Zaman columnist Etyen Mahcupyan told the pro-government Yenisafak daily that the operation was carried out to bring down the government. Defending the Gulen movement in the prep-school debate, many of which belongs to Gulen's movement, Mahcupyan said that the December 17 operation was a coup attempt against the government. Meanwhile, Mahcupyan criticized Fethullah Gulen because of his politcal behaviour, saying his messages move him away from his religious identity. "If Gulen could remain as a religious leader, he will be more prestigious than today," Mahcupyan said.
Last week, Mahcupyan implied that 25% of Hizmet Movement members, who were previously AK Party supporters, were planning to give their votes to the opposition CHP in March’s local elections, admitting that an alliance was slowly being formed between CHP and the group.
The Hizmet Movement was accused of forming a 'state within a state' which has infiltrated and sough to control whole state departments including the police force and judiciary.
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