June 24, 2025 — Hizmet is a civil society movement committed to the ideals of living together in peace and serving humanity, and it works within the framework of social responsibility and philanthropy. The movement is centered on the concept of altruistic volunteerism and prioritizes education, dialogue, and humanitarian aid in its activities. It is a peaceful movement that embraces religious, social, and cultural diversity and is inspired by Islamic and universal humanitarian values.

Volunteers of Hizmet always have remained true to peace and universal principles of law, prioritized social reconciliation in all periods and circumstances, and categorically rejected violence. Recent history bears witness to countless examples of this. Efforts to bring different social groups together around the same table have frequently been seen in the past practices of Hizmet. Indeed, the first strong support for the Peace Process (with PKK) was given by Mr. Fethullah Gülen himself, who said, “Peace/Reconciliation is good”[1]. This historical perspective continues to guide us in overcoming the current crises.

Volunteers of Hizmet always have seen it as their responsibility to contribute to the peace and common good of the society in which they live. They also share the dream of a Turkey where no one is excluded, where differences are seen as a source of richness rather than a threat, and where the rule of law and human rights are fully respected. Regardless of the motives behind it, the Hizmet Movement values any initiative that prioritizes social peace, equal citizenship, and the prioritization of the non-negotiable fundamental human rights and freedoms.

As Turkey is going through a deep social, political, and justice crisis, it is a historical responsibility to reestablish the rule of law to enable everyone to live in a manner befitting human dignity. This responsibility requires those who govern the state to demonstrate their commitment to universal principles of law through concrete steps. Putting an end to years of human rights violations, ensuring the independence of the judiciary, and fully implementing the decisions of international institutions such as the European Court of Human Rights and the United Nations are of vital importance in terms of restoring social conscience and alleviating deepening grievances. If this is achieved, Turkey will regain the prestige and respect it has lost in the eyes of the international community.

The implementation of universal legal principles requires not only legal reforms but also ending ongoing injustices and the remediation of damages incurred.

Supporting innocent people who have been victimized in Turkey and their relatives is not only the moral and humanitarian duty of Hizmet volunteers, but a duty of everyone. However, in an environment where even such innocent efforts are considered crimes and are punished, it is impossible to talk about establishing social peace. This situation is incompatible with universal principles of law, and it sentences innocent people to a civil death.

Over the past decade, hundreds of thousands of people have been removed from their jobs, deprived of their basic rights, and subjected to severe injustices ranging from hate speech to torture merely on the grounds of allegedly sympathizing with Hizmet. Despite all kinds of injustice and mistreatment—such as unlawful house raids, groundless dismissals, confiscation of property, exile, and unjust arrests—these innocent victims have never resorted to violence and have consistently maintained their dignified stance.

Even while they were systematically targeted with the full force of state resources, Hizmet participants’ peaceful stance is one of the most valuable legacies to be passed on to future generations.

In addition to the education, dialogue, and humanitarian relief activities carried out by Hizmet volunteers in various parts of the world, the legal struggle to redress the injustices suffered is being pursued within the framework of the fundamental rights defined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, based on legitimate and universal values. Meanwhile, the oppressed and disadvantaged people living in Turkey simply are trying to survive.

We would like to emphasize once again that from Hizmet’s very beginning, Mr. Gülen personally ensured that the consultation mechanism was implemented, advised, and encouraged its practice on every occasion, and took concrete steps toward that end. Through sharing of best practices and consultation globally at all levels through relevant committees and platforms, effective cooperation and information sharing among Hizmet volunteers have been made possible.[2] As has been the case to date, collective wisdom and consultation will continue to be the basis for all Hizmet activities. The institutions and consultation committees representing Hizmet are well known and recognized by the Hizmet community. As before, relevant institutions will continue to provide information and make statements from time to time. Statements made by individuals by their own initiative do not represent Hizmet.  

Any constructive criticism aimed at renewal and healthy growth of Hizmet is valuable. We respect such contributions and believe that they will benefit Hizmet activities. However, in recent times, certain planned initiatives carried out under the guise of criticism, targeting the harmony and integrity of Hizmet, particularly campaigns based on artificial distinctions such as “grassroots vs. top” or “domestic vs. abroad,” have been observed to be aimed at creating divisions among volunteers. We are fully confident that all volunteers will act with common sense and be able to distinguish between constructive criticism and destructive division in the face of such manipulations and divisive rhetoric.  

With the grace of God, Hizmet will continue to contribute to social peace and humanity with the guidance of the Core Values[3] it declared in 2021 along with its collective wisdom.

We respectfully share this with the public.

[1] https://herkul.app/herkul-nagme/195-nagme-sulh-hayirdir

[2] https://afsv.org/ortak-akil-ve-kolektif-miras-hizmet-hareketinin-gelecegi

[3] https://afsv.org/hizmet-core-values-flipbook-turkish

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