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APA Holding president: Anyone who kept cooperating with Gulenists after 2013 must be punished

25 August 2016 12:51 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Farid Mirzayev – APA. “When I was the editor-in-chief of the “Xalq cÉ™bhÉ™si” (Popular Front) newspaper in 2001, we published a series of researches by Vuqar Huseynov on Nur movement followers. At that time, Najib Hablemletoglu, who used to write against Nursism, had been murdered. We published eight articles. So both I and author Vuqar Huseynov as well as Gudrat Hasanguliyev, who was a friend of the newspaper, began facing pressures. After eight editions and insistence from the Turkish embassy, we stopped the writings. Because the official position of the friendly and fraternal country did matter to us,” said APA Holding President Vusala Mahirgizi, who is a member of the Press Council’s Board of Directors.

He made the remarks during an event on the theme “Azerbaijani media versus religious radicalism” held at the Press Council on Aug.25.

She noted that the events held by Gulenists prior to 2013 had been attended by world-famous persons and state officials.

“… because this, at the time, had been perceived as Turkey’s participation in a close ally’s event. That’s why I’m against everyone being pell-mell blamed and all these campaigns. However, after 2013 the state of Turkey announced that it had no such ally and began fighting them,” Said Mahirgizi.

She continued: “So those who still kept closely cooperating with this circle must be found out and punished. At the same time, those who worked with this group in anti-government activities must also be found out and punished. But I don’t think it’s right to blackmail persons who remained an ally of the Turkish government and kept ties with these people out of respect for the government and state of Turkey because of their participation and speeches in some events.

Mahirgizi recalled that in 2009 Ali Hasanov, department head at Azerbaijan’s Presidential Administration, made a straightforward speech against Gulenists.

“A lot of us attended in that event. Mr Hasanov clearly said to those people “You have exceeded your boundaries” and added that we recognize Ataturk as the founder of the Turkish Republic. Only Ataturk’s portrait can be put next to Heydar Aliyev’s. That embarrassed Gulenists too much. Turkish ambassador to Azerbaijan Hulusi Kilic, who was present at the event, too approved of Hasanov’s speech,” she said.

Mahirgizi said Azerbaijani media stands by the state in the fight against any ideology that threatens state interests, adding that she thinks this is unambiguous and unquestionable.