Enterprises controlled by Nur movement in Azerbaijan collected $53 million in 2013
The total amount of funds raised in 2013 by Nur-controlled enterprises in Azerbaijan equaled to $53 million. As it is stated in Azerbaijani news portal Haqqin.az, this data is presented in the letter of T. Mustafa addressed to the leader of Nur movement, Fethullah Gülen.
As it is stated in the article, the letter contains a list with the names of the enterprises and organizations with the amounts of money allocated to them. The names of the companies where additional funds were transferred were also mentioned in the letter.
Thus, $2million was transferred to TV Channel “KhazarTV “and Radio station “Bоrc FM”: $765 thousand for the courses of Araz, $ 367 thousand for publication of books, pamphlets and for campaign activities of the movement, $ 413 thousand as an additional payment for publishing and distributing “Zaman Azerbaijan” newspaper, $ 210 thousand for organization of symposia, conferences, meetings related to the movement. $ 8 million 435 thousand was allocated to educational network and $ 732 thousand was spent on various gifts for Azerbaijani officials.
At the same time, as it is stated in the article, in different regions of Azerbaijan $184 thousand was allocated to the expenses of friends of Imams and Jamaat and 3 million 565 thousand for additional monthly expenses for the friends that are in government agencies.
It is noted that considerable proportion of the movement money was kept in private cash desks of trustees as transfer of money to bank accounts in Turkey could have caught the attention of special services. The banks with which the followers of Nur movement previously collaborated refuse to accept such large amounts of money. The information source explains that this change is conditioned by the recent events in Turkey and that he waits for the recommendations to solve the problem.
A few days ago Azerbaijani newspaper "Yeni Musavat", with a reference to a source in social networks spread information that official circles in Turkey have provided the Azerbaijani government a list of high-ranking officials of Azerbaijan in the administration of President Ilham Aliyev and the Azerbaijani government, which include or are related with such religious direction, as Nursizm.
The list of officials recruited by the sect of Fethullah Gülen include, the head of Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan Elnur Aslanov, SOCAR vice president Khalig Mammadov, chairman of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations Elshad Isgandarov, his deputy Gunduz Ismailov, Youth and Sports Deputy Minister Intigam Babayev, MP Jeyhun Osmanli, CSR Director under the Presidential Administration Farhad Mammadov, Chairman of the Youth Foundation Farhad Hajiyev.
Nur sect leader is Turkish billionaire Fethullah Gülen. He also owns large industrial and financial companies and holdings worldwide. Gülen owns a large network of schools and educational institutions. In 1998, Gülen was accused of attempting to overthrow the existing regime in secular Turkey. At the same time avoiding the punishment, he immigrated to the United States. When the AKP came to power all charges against him were dropped. Turkish Prime Minister R. T. Erdogan and the Justice and Development Party are accused of having ties to Gülen. According to various estimates, about five million people in Turkey and abroad (particularly in Azerbaijan and Central Asia) are involved in the Gülen movement.
In some countries, particularly in Russia, the Gülen sect "Nurjular" (or "Nur") is prohibited, and its followers are held accountable for spreading extremism. The Russian FSS believes that members of the sect are collecting intelligence in favor of Turkey and have ties with terrorists in the North Caucasus.