Mr. Adnan Oktar's interview with Radio Galey Israel by Mr. Yitzchak Hildesheimer, June 23, 2010, Israel

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:Why is it so important for you that your ideas will be heard in Israel?

ADNAN OKTAR: I love Israel. They are the descendant of Prophets. I love the Muslims, Christians and Muslims there as the servants of Allah that He created. I want them to be at ease, to lead peaceful, beautiful lives. I want them to be devout. I want them to love Allah.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:So it is important to read the opinion between Muslims and Jews that they are always faithful and have good relationships. Do you want them to love each other and not to have war?

ADNAN OKTAR:Of course because war serves to satan. Peace is a form of worship for Allah, it is love, it is what Allah asks from us.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:So anyway he is against any fight, any war between Israeli Jews and Arab Muslims?

ADNAN OKTAR:Of course. I am severely against it. I want them to live happily in peace as brothers, with joy and in a mood of friendship.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:Now a more up-to-date question. According to your opinion, was Turkey right, was Erdogan right, in taking the ship Mavi Marmara to try to break the blockade of Gazza?

ADNAN OKTAR: This is not an official visit. The arrival of the ship there was completely the work of private institutions, establishments, in other words non-official institutions. It is purported for aid. But it is not a ship that sailed upon the instruction of the Prime Minister.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:But he [Mr. Erdogan] was behind it?

ADNAN OKTAR:When the ship arrived there, the Prime Minister supported the oppressed in the ship. But before that the Prime Minister did not give any instructions about sending such a ship or providing such an aid.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:Okay. Whoever sent the ship, was it right to do it?

ADNAN OKTAR:About providing aid to the Christians, Jews and Muslims there is already a commandment of both the Torah and the Qur’an.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:You know that Israel said two things all the time. First of all Israel said that sending a ship to import guns and so on, to continue to fight against Israeli people [will not be allowed]. That’s one thing. Besides that Israel informed the people of the ship and told them "please come to Israeli coast, to the port of Ashdod, bring your humanitarian supplies and we will send it to Gazza". Why you need to break the closure of Gazza which is justified by the laws of the nations.

ADNAN OKTAR: I repeatedly announced to the Turkish public and the world by means of television channels that while the ship was sailing there, the Israeli soldiers had to be met with joy, brotherhood and love, that they had to be invited to the ship, and allowed them to make search for guns, that is to say, for any unlawful items in the ship. I told them that this is the right of Israel, that this way they would feel at ease, and from then on they had to distribute the aid materials altogether.

I many times announced this and explained on the television and on the Internet. I told this several times. To the ones on the ship and to the public, to everyone, I gave these messages.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:Did the people on the ship agree to it?

ADNAN OKTAR: They did not comply. But I also stated that their non-compliance was similarly was not right.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:Does he agree that the people on the ship not agreeing that the Israeli soliders can come on the ship and search was not right?

ADNAN OKTAR:Yes I told that.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:I read every day the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times. None of them never told such a thing like what you declared, which was very nice. I don’t think anybody in Israel have heard it as well but anyway the people on the ship didn’t agree to it... I hope they've remembered what you said.

ADNAN OKTAR: I stressed that I did not approve the incidents that happened. I told that they had to greet the soldiers with smiling faces, kindness and that they had to prepare the proper ground for a search in the ship. This message has many times appeared in the Turkish press, Turkish media. Much has been talked about it. But they did not act as I explained. Consequently this conflict arised. The incidents that happened are surely unpleasant. We do not want Turkey to fall out with Israel. We want a re-arrangement and recovery of the Turkish-Israel relations.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:I had to ask what Mr. Oktar thinks about Hamas in Gazza? Does he agree that it is a terror organization?

ADNAN OKTAR: We are against Hamas, if they use arms and engage in unrightful deeds. But if Hamas stands up for peace, brotherhood, friendship, we would surely support them. We suppose that there will be a definite change in its politics because we are in the age of Mahdism, in the age of the coming of the Messiah (Mashiach). We believe that the Messiah mentioned in the Torah has arrived. In such a climate there exists no bloody war. Problems are resolved with peace, brotherhood and love. We believe that Hamas will make correction in its policy, and adopt one that supports peace and brotherhood. Indeed we recently receive information of this kind.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:In the mean time when the Messiah has not come... What does he think about the behaviour of Hamas before the Messiah has come?

ADNAN OKTAR: I have no detailed information about the activities of Hamas but who ever sheds blood, kills a man, bombs people, hangs or attacks someone, whether an organization or a state, who ever he may be, in my eyes he is terrorist and cruel. No matter who commits. I do not make any distinction. This may also be a state, a person, an individual or an organization. No matter who commits it; the one who kills children, innocent people, slays and bombs is a murderer and terrorist in my eyes.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:He says they are murderers?

ADNAN OKTAR: I repeat it once again. No matter who he is; whether a state, an organization or an individual; everyone killing innocent people, defenseless people are terrorists.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:I see. In Gazza children -let’s say 10 years old- are trained to use guns against Israel, against the Jewish people.

ADNAN OKTAR:Kids should be educated. Pupils need to be instructed in the light of our books, the books of Harun Yahya. Our education system... That is, if pupils are educated in the light of my viewpoint, the Qur’an and hadith no incidents of this kind would occur. This is something that originates from lack of education.

Those who read the works of Harun Yahya would not engage in such deeds.A person who knows the Qur’an and hadith in its true sense would not do these. Someone who knows the original Torah would not do this.

We are in the age of Messiah-the Mahdi. In the Torah it is explained in details that Messiah, that is Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will shed not a drop of blood, that he will treat people with compassion and mercy. We are right now in the age of the Messiah (pbuh) and the Mahdi (pbuh). The King Messiah (pbuh) mentioned in the Qur’an, Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) that has been awaited for 3000 years has arrived. The Awaited Mahdi (pbuh) has also come. From now on we will live in an age of peace and Golden Age insha’Allah.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:I see. Another question, why do you think that Mr. Erdogan want to take Turkey back to the period before Ataturk?

ADNAN OKTAR:The period before Ataturk... In what sense?

OKTAR BABUNA: He probably means the Ottomans, Allah knows better.

ADNAN OKTAR:We also advocate the Ottomans, the rationale of the Ottomans, the personality of the Ottomans. But at the same time we also advocate Ataturk. Ataturk was also an Ottoman officer. Ottomans brought peace, justice, brotherhood and love to the world. Ottomans had flaws; but in the general sense Ottomans did not dispel, demolish the culture of people. They respected people’s religions. They took Jews from Spain and brought them to Istanbul. Ottomans rescued them from oppression. They provided them peace, relief and brotherhood. They provided blessings and abundance. Consequently we both advocate Ataturk and the culture of Ottomans. Since Ataturk was also an Ottoman officer, it is seen that there is nothing flawed or erroneous here.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:Does he believe that Turkey will go back to the period before Ataturk and that religion should be mixed with the government?

ADNAN OKTAR:The ideal thought and structure for us and the one described in the Qur’an is this one. This was also prevalent in the Ottomans. The laicist system. A system in which laicism is applied in its true sense. This is the system that I have been advocating from the very beginning. Modern, progressive, enlightened views that advocates science and arts in its full sense and follows technology is our main target. This is also the view of Ataturk and the ideology of Ataturk and this is also our view. Ataturk was also advocating the Turkish-Islamic Union and so do I. It is one of our basic convictions to establish a giant Turkish Islamic Union in the whole region that will include Russia, Armenia and Israel, to live in peace and brotherhood, to ensure the independency of states within themselves and survival of its own regime, to advocate a fully-formed, mature democracy and the implementation of laicism with meticulous care.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:I see. Okay. Did Mr. Oktar ever visit Israel?

ADNAN OKTAR:No, I would like to come as soon as possible. I have many Jewish friends there, many Muslim brothers that I know. It is an important ideal of mine to dine with them, to converse with them, talk to them. It is a significant ideal of mine to come to Jerusalem, to meet those young people in Israel, to get acquainted with the Israeli little Israeli kids, Palestinian kids, to give gifts to them, to become friends and brothers with them, to see their friendship and brotherhood.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:Does he have a good relationship with [Turkish Chief] Rabbi Haleva?

ADNAN OKTAR:I am very close to the Sanhedrin Rabbis there. I love them very much. I have also some Jewish friends here. I also met [the Chief Rabbi] Haleva in hotel. We had a conversation on the roof of the hotel. I also like him very much. He also has sympathy for me. He also loves me.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:I’d like to ask another question. You said to me that Mr. Oktar is not involved in politics right?

ADNAN OKTAR:That is true. I also told that I have no interest in politics.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:Let's say theoretically if he [Mr. Adnan Oktar] decides in the next election for the parliament, to run for Prime Minister, if he decides to enter in politics, can you imagine, can you guess what percentage of the Turkish population may support him? In other words does he have a great support among the Turkish population as a philosopher, as a writer in the Turkish population?

ADNAN OKTAR:I never think of being involved in politics. But a great majority of the Turkish people love me. Especially all of the rightists love me. Many people among the leftists have affection for me because I advocate what is ideal and the best. I advocate brotherhood, love, peace, friendship, science, aesthetics and everything that is beautiful in this world. That is to say, I advocate Messiah, King Messiah’s (pbuh) character, the character of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) and the moral perfection of the Qur’an.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:I see. And I have to finish. You sound quite young, how do you manage to write 300 books so far?

ADNAN OKTAR:A group of 30 people consisting of professors and assistant professors help me in the preparation of the books. They prepare the basic information, the necessary photographs, the information that needs to be interpreted, general information, they prepare all of these. I only make the necessary links and comments. Apart from this we send them to the editor who edits. After the editing process they are published. That is why the process is rapid.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:Why would he not talk sometimes with Mr. Erdogan? Why would he not ask Mr. Erdogan to change his attitude towards Israel, to live with Israel in peace?

ADNAN OKTAR:This is an issue that will be resolved by private relations. It would be a wise attitude for the devout to communicate with one another. For instance talking to the Sanhedrin, to our beloved friends in Israel, settling the issue between us and helping the Israeli and Turkish governments by acting as mediators. Previously a crisis of this sort broke out and we acted as a mediator in the correction of that crisis and it became very beneficial. We want to be useful again.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:I’d like you to ask him; does he think there is free speech and free press? I’ll tell you why I am asking. We feel here that Rabbi Haleva is not free in what he says. He is afraid to express his opinion in case that it is against the government.

ADNAN OKTAR:In Turkey democracy is improving, it is getting increasingly better. Compared to its former state there is very important development in Turkey. Especially with the diminishing effect of this alleged Ergenekon Organization there is more freedom in Turkey. And we assume that it will be even better. But our Jewish citizens are very much liked in Turkey, they are taken very good care of. They are very much respected. This is a custom we inherited from our Prophet (saas), from the Ottoman times. We stressed it also before. We brought our Jewish brothers all the way from Spain and hosted them in the most beautiful city, Istanbul. We meticulously struggle to provide peace to them. They are Allah’s trust to us. We host them in the best possible way. We will scrupulously struggle even more for their happiness.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:My question was not only how to do but I said New York Times author wrote almost every Turkish citizen, not Jewish people, who talked to them said 'please don’t mention my name'. But I am asking generally, not about the Jews, not about Rabbi Haleva, if there is now free speech and free press.

ADNAN OKTAR: The Jews I know here in Turkey lead very beautiful, comfortable lives and they express their opinions freely; but as I said the expansion of democracy is still in progress. Its ultimate attainment of perfection may take some time but there is a very rapid improvement. The course of events rapidly proceed towards a sort of democracy comparable to the European countries.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER:I am not asking about Jewish people, I am asking generally. Whenever they ask something, they don’t want their name be mentioned in the press. They are afraid. I am not talking about Jewish people, I am talking about regular Turkish people. Do you understand?

ADNAN OKTAR: There may be people who abstain but for instance I never abstain while explaining my opinions; I reveal them very comfortably. I hope it improves and gets even better, but currently democracy in its perfect sense is absent even in Europe. It is absent in many countries, also in Israel. That is, it is recently in progress. Democracy will be beautiful in its true sense in the time of Messiah, the King Messiah (pbuh), the Mahdi (pbuh).

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER: I see. Okay. Thank you very very much. We will broadcast it in half an hour.

ADNAN OKTAR: I thank you. Love, regards and salam (greetings) to all Jews, Christians and Muslims in Israel.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER: If Mr. Oktar visit Israels, please keep my telephone, I would like to meet him in person.

ADNAN OKTAR:Of course, of course.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER: Thank you.

ADNAN OKTAR:I also thank you. Salam.

YITZCHAK HILDESHEIMER: Okay. Bye.Shalom, shalom.