Bergen Arts and Science Charter School - Evidence of affiliation with Gulen Movement


July 28, 2010   last updated Nov 23, 2012
by C.A.S.I.L.I.P.S. - Citizens Against Special Interest Lobbying in Public Schools

Bergen is a publicly-funded charter school in Garfield, New Jersey.

A pdf document available on the Bergen website, giving the schedule for practice NJ ASK tests, has metadata title "HARMONY SCIENCE ACADEMY - DALLAS."  Harmony is a Gulen charter school in Texas.  Metadata of 3 other school documents show they are from Syracuse Academy of Science, a Gulen charter school in NY, with author Ehat Ercanli.  Yet another school document has metadata showing "DSA-OKC" which is Dove Science Academy - Oklahoma City, also a Gulen charter school.

The Bergen Arts and Science Charter School website shows that the school organized an iftar (religious ceremonial) dinner; based on the photos it appears to have taken place at a Gulenist cultural center.  The school website gives a photo album for the event; the album appears on a page with links to all school photo albums.  One photo of the event shows several Bergen students in their school uniforms. Another photo shows Ibrahim Tuncel, a Gulenist school administrator, wearing a school uniform shirt with school logo and his last name on it.

Gulenist dialog organizations all over the US and around the world very commonly hold iftar dinners and invite community members.

The Bergen iftar dinner is also referred to in a school document on "Program Analysis of BASCS 2008-2011" under "Parent Programs."  The document states "PTO, parent picnics, grandparent’s night, awards assemblies, muffins with mom, and donuts with dad, cultural night, Cinco de Mayo Celebration, pasta night, home visits, and soccer with parents, parent teacher volley ball, Iftar dinner, Hispanic heritage, concerts, Diwali celebration, Black History Month celebrations, award ceremonies."  Note that while several of the events mentioned, including the Diwali celebration, could be described as multicultural, the Iftar dinner is the only one that is truly religious.

An October 14, 2012 column in the Gulenist propaganda "newspaper" Today's Zaman, by Bergen Arts and Science Charter School board member Arzu Kaya-Uranli, contained the line "Nihat Guvercin, a charter school administrator at one of the top charter schools in New Jersey, told me that 'charter schools are absolutely essential for public education.'"  The mention of Nihat Guvercin leaves no doubt that this referred to Bergen Arts and Science Charter School.  Kaya-Uranli did not mention her affiliation with the school as a board member, even though normal journalistic standards would dictate such a disclosure.  The article sought to portray the American educational system in a very negative light and then offer charter schools as the "solution;" clearly this is self-serving as the Gulen Movement is profiting greatly from its charter school business.  It is noteworthy that Today's Zaman (based in Turkey) only seems to take an interest in U.S. K-12 education when it involves the Gulen charter schools; a July 25, 2011 article on Abramson Science and Technology School is another example.

The connections with the Fethullah Gulen Movement are further shown by the multiple affiliations, both past and present, of the following individuals.

Harun Celik
  • Bergen Arts and Science Charter School
  • Hampden Charter School of Science   (Gulen charter school in Massachusetts)

Serkan Costur
  • Bergen Arts and Science Charter School
  • Paterson Charter School of Science and Technology  (Gulen charter school in NJ)

Bekir Duz
  • 2011-12 CEO, Truebright Science Academy  (Gulen charter school in PA)
  • 2008-11 Principal, Central Jersey College Prep  (Gulen charter school in NJ)
  • 2007-08 Bergen Arts and Science Charter School     
  • West Penn Cultural Center (Gulenist organization)  From a March 10, 2006 article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "Bekir Duz, a board member of the cultural center, said the group follows the teachings of M. Fethullah Gulen."

Nihat Guvercin
  • Principal and lead person, Bergen Arts and Science Charter School
  • Principal, Harmony Science Academy Dallas TX  (Gulen charter school)
  • Cosmos Foundation, Texas  (Gulenist)
  • Lead petitioner, Passaic Arts and Science Charter School, NJ  (Gulen charter school)

Arzu Kaya-Uranli
  • Board Member, Bergen Arts and Science Charter School
  • Columnist for Today's Zaman and Zaman Amerika (Gulenist propaganda newspapers)

Osman Oztoprak
  • President of the Board of Trustees of Bergen Arts and Science Charter School
  • CEO, Pioneer Academy of Science (private Gulen school)
  • Chairman, Turkish Cultural Center of New York  (Gulenist organization)  
  • Frequent speaker, Interfaith Dialog Center in New Jersey   (Gulenist organization that openly promotes the teachings and philosophy of Fethullah Gulen.  Fethullah Gulen is the honorary President of the Interfaith Dialog Center.)

Mehmet Secilmis
  • Bergen Arts and Science Charter School
  • Milkyway Education Center, Inc.  (corporation running Pioneer Academy of Science)
  • Pioneer Academy of Science  (private Gulen school in NJ)

Ogur Yildiz
  • Principal, Thomas Edison EnergySmart Charter School
  • Bergen Arts and Science Charter School
  • Pioneer Academy of Science  (private Gulen school in NJ)