New York Consul General Ahmet Yazal’s Silence

New York Consul General Ahmet Yazal’s Silence as Congresswomen Nicole Malliotakis Engages With the terrorist’s Gulen-Affiliated Network

In recent months, the Turkish American community on Staten Island has watched with deep concern as Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis has appeared at events linked to organizations widely understood to be affiliated with the Gulen movement known in the United States under names such as “Turkish Cultural Centers.” While these entities present themselves as benign, interfaith, and educational institutions, major international actors including the Republic of Türkiye, multiple governments across Eurasia, and sections of U.S. law enforcement have long raised alarms about the nature, structure, and intentions of this network.

 Fettuallh Gulen, who had resided in Pennsylvania since 1999, leaded what his supporters call the “Hizmet” movement. Public-facing messaging portrays him as a scholar advocating peace and intercultural dialogue. Yet Turkish court records, Former US Ambassadors , global investigations, including ICE Agents , and testimony from defectors describe an entirely different picture: a clandestine, hierarchically organized movement accused by the Turkish state of orchestrating the 2016 attempted coup and infiltrating state institutions for political and financial gain. Estimates based on U.S. legal filings place the global economic footprint of Gulen affiliated institutions between $40 billion and $50 billion. Reports by governments and independent analysts have even characterized the movement as operating through “white-collar” structures with covert objectives.

What troubles Staten Island’s Turkish American community most is not simply the Congresswoman’s engagement with this network, but the complete silence of Türkiye’s Consul General in New York, Ahmet Yazal. At moments when elected officials amplify groups viewed by the Republic of Türkiye as dangerous, the Consulate General has a duty not merely a privilege to offer clarification, context, and defense of Türkiye’s positions. Instead, not a single public statement has been issued. This quietness is deeply felt.

At a time when misinformation spreads rapidly and when extremist groups of all types seek influence in American civic life, silance is not diplomacy. Silence is negligence.

The Turkish American community on Staten Island stands firmly for transparant cooperation, public safety, and the integrity of U.S. Türkiye relations. We urge our political leaders and diplomatic representatives to ensure they are not unknowingly lending legitimacy to organizations whose intentions remain widely questioned and internationally scrutinized.

Ibrahim Kurtulus

Community Activist