FETÖ analysis from Bilal Erdoğan: It was not religiosity that birthed FETÖ, but rigid secularism

Bilal Erdoğan was a guest on the fourth episode of the documentary series "Asırlık Gece" (Centennial Night), produced by TRT, which focuses on the coup attempt of July 15, 2016.

Speaking in the fourth episode of the TRT-produced documentary series "Asırlık Gece," which aims to chronologically recount the coup attempt of July 15, 2016, Bilal Erdoğan's remarks regarding FETÖ drew attention. Erdoğan stated, "It was that very rigid secularism that birthed FETÖ; it was not religiosity that birthed FETÖ."

Erdoğan's assessment of FETÖ, which was included in the documentary in his capacity as the Chairman of the İlim Yayma Foundation, also became a topic of discussion on social media following the program's broadcast.

Erdoğan, who did not touch upon how FETÖ organized within the state or the relationships it established with political power during that process, argued that the reason for the organization's emergence was the "pressure applied on believing people" and "rigid secularism."

The analysis expressed by Bilal Erdoğan in the relevant part of the documentary is as follows:

"What birthed FETÖ was the pressure applied on believing people. It was that very rigid secularism that birthed FETÖ.

It was not religiosity that birthed FETÖ, it was not Islam that birthed FETÖ, it was not the Risale-i Nur that birthed FETÖ.

Therefore, I believe that this also needs to be identified."