Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Balıkesir deputy Mehmet Tüm has called on Turkish Minister of Education İsmet Yılmaz to resign, claiming that the new school curriculum is spreading Gülen movement propaganda with inter-religious dialogue content, the Diken news website reported on Saturday.
According to the report, Tüm accused the ministry of removing scientific and philosophical content from schools and replacing it with themes promoting the Gülen movement, accused of mounting a botched coup attempt in Turkey in July 2016.
Tüm claimed that in sixth grade social sciences textbooks a section titled “Civilizations Met in Our Country” was openly praising dialogue between religions.
While the Gülen movement has been associated with altruism, inter-religious and intercultural dialogue with institutions, schools and foundations across Europe and Africa, the Turkish government and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accuse the movement of organizing the coup attempt last year.
Fethullah Gülen, who inspired the movement, strongly denied having any role in the failed coup. The Turkish government initiated a widespread purge within state institutions targeting the faith-based Gülen movement and dissidents.
Turkey’s Justice Ministry recently announced that 50,510 people have been arrested and 169,013 have been the subject of legal proceedings on coup charges since the failed coup in Turkey.