Dove Science Academy, Sky Foundation, Discovery School
Evidence of affiliation with Gulen Movement


March 14, 2011   last updated June 18, 2011
by C.A.S.I.L.I.P.S. - Citizens Against Special Interest Lobbying in Public Schools

Dove Science Academy is the name of publicly-funded charter schools in Oklahoma, located in Tulsa and Oklahoma City.  Its charter holder is the Sky Foundation, which also runs the Discovery School of Tulsa.

A letter addressed to Dove Science Academy parents asked them to contribute to ISWEEEP, as a way of thanking the Cosmos Foundation for startup funds they provided for Dove.  The Cosmos Foundation is a Gulenist organization running the Harmony Public Schools chain of Gulen charter schools in Texas.

Dove Science Academy students went on a school field trip to the Oklahoma City Raindrop Turkish House, a Gulenist organization.  Another Dove field trip was to the Raindrop Turkish House in Houston, for its Annual Turkic Cultures and Children’s Festival.  This was also a Gulenist event run by a Gulenist organization.

Dove Science Academy teachers have been on Gulenist trips to Turkey.

Dove Science Academy students participate in the Turkish Olympiads, a Gulenist competition that nearly all Gulen charter schools in the US are active in.

Dove Science Academy has filed a number of H-1B visa applications for teachers and staff, following the modus operandi of Gulen schools in the US.  These have included applications for Turkish language teachers.

Dove exhibits the characteristics of Gulen charter schools listed here.  In particular, Dove has been cited several times by government officials for deficiencies in special education.  In October 2009, the Tulsa School Board ended its charter with Dove in Tulsa; special education was a deciding factor.  Dove was able to find another authorizer and continue in business.

A land deal that involved the transfer of property from the Sky Foundation to the Rain Drop Foundation (a Gulenist organization running the Raindrop Turkish House) through Yuksel Alp Aslandogan, a major player in the Gulen Movement here in the US, shows the close connection between all these entities.  The deal involved the commercial property at 4444 N Classen Blvd, Oklahoma City.  The Sky Foundation purchased this property on May 28, 2008 for $780,000, sold it to Yuksel Alp Aslandogan for $1,025,000 on August 27, 2010, and he in turn sold it to the Rain Drop Foundation just 4 months later, on Dec 27, 2010, for only $650,000.  There is no evidence that fair market land prices in Oklahoma City fluctuated to such an extent between August and December 2010.

An article in the newspaper Oklahoman that appeared on May 1, 2011 discusses Dove's ties to the Gulen Movement.

The connection with the Gulen Movement is further shown by the multiple affiliations of the following individuals, both past and present.

Yalcin Akyildiz, a.k.a. Yalcin White
  • Principal, Dove Science Academy Oklahoma City  
  • Harmony Public Schools, South Cluster Superintendent  (Gulen charter schools)
  • Wrote a "Professional Investigation in Brief" at the University of Texas Tyler in conjunction with their Principal Certification Program entitled "Role of Home Visits in Student Achievement and Behavior;" report uses Harmony Public Schools data and concludes that home visits are very effective for academics and student behavior (note that home visits are a signature feature of all Gulen schools, a point that Gulenists push heavily in charter applications and in school publicity)

Bayram Annanurov
  • Teacher, Dove Science Academy
  • Teacher, Brookside-Frontier Math and Science School, Kansas City, Missouri (Gulen charter school)

Ergin Bostanci
  • Dove Science Academy
  • Institute of Interfaith Dialog  (Gulenist)

Kaan Camuz
  • Principal, Harmony Science Academy Austin
  • Dove Science Academy CEO, Superintendent
  • Petitioner, Dove School of Excellence Springdale, Arkansas (proposed Gulen charter school)

Kamil Celik
  • Board Member, Dove Science Academy
  • Institute of Interfaith Dialog  (Gulenist)
  • Raindrop Turkish House  (Gulenist)

Kazim Cicek
  • Teacher, Dove Science Academy
  • Teacher, Chesapeake Science Point, Maryland  (Gulen charter school)

Volkan Cicek
  • Dove Science Academy
  • Board Member, Sky Foundation d.b.a. Dove Science Academy
  • Harmony Science Academy  (Gulen charter school)
  • Institute of Interfaith Dialog  (Gulenist)
  • Interfaith Dialogue Student Association  Oklahoma State University  (Gulenist)
  • Dean of Faculty of Education, Isik (Ishik) University, Iraq  (Gulenist)

Bilal Erturk
  • President, Board, Dove Science Academy
  • Institute of Interfaith Dialog, Tulsa OK  (Gulenist)
  • President of Texas A&M's Institute of Interfaith Dialogue chapter  (Gulenist)

Birol Furat
  • Board Member, Sky Foundation d.b.a. Dove Science Academy
  • Dove Science Academy principal
  • Principal, Lisa Academy, Arkansas  (Gulen charter school)
  • Turkish Cultural Center New York  (Gulenist)
  • Turkish Cultural Center Queens  (Gulenist)
  • Turkish Olympiads judge  (Gulenist competition)

Ilker Gure
  • Dean of Students, Dove Science Academy
  • Assistant Superintendent, Cosmos Foundation  (Gulenist)

Mustafa Guvercin a.k.a. Mustafa Dove  (note: dove=guvercin in Turkish)
  • Principal, Dove Science Academy
  • Cluster Superintendent, Harmony Science Academy Austin  (Gulen charter school)
  • Petitioner, Pelican Math and Science Charter School, Louisiana  (proposed Gulen charter school)
  • CEO, Abramson Science and Technology Charter School, Louisiana  (Gulen charter school)
  • Executive Director, Bluebonnet Learning Center, Texas   (Gulenist business)

Yusuf Kandir
  • Dove Science Academy
  • Harmony School of Nature and Athletics   (Gulen charter school)
  • Brookside Frontier Math and Science School   (Gulen charter school)

Ihsan Kara
  • Board Member, Sky Foundation d.b.a. Dove Science Academy
  • Harmony Science Academy Brownsville  (Gulen charter school)

Gultekin Kaya
  • Dove Science Academy
  • Harmony Science Academy Lubbock TX  (Gulen charter school)
  • Harmony Science Academy College Station TX   (Gulen charter school)

Orhan Kucukoskan
  • Dove Science Academy
  • Sky Foundation
  • Raindrop Turkish House  (Gulenist)

Asil Oztekin
  • Board Member, Sky Foundation d.b.a. Dove Science Academy
  • OSU Interfaith Dialog Student Association  (Gulenist)
  • Institute of Interfaith Dialog  (Gulenist)

Birol Ozturk
  • Board Member, Sky Foundation d.b.a. Dove Science Academy
  • Institute of Interfaith Dialog, Oklahoma  (Gulenist)
  • Board Member, Turkish Cultural Center of Syracuse  (Gulenist)

Fevzi Simsek
  • Principal, Dove Science Academy
  • Principal, Discovery School of Tulsa  (Gulen charter school)

Hasan Suzuk
  • Dove Science Academy
  • Kenilworth Science and Technology Charter School  (Gulen charter school)

Can "John" Topuz
  • Dove Science Academy
  • Curriculum Consultant, Sky Foundation; paid $52,836 in 2006
  • Texas Gulf Foundation   (Gulenist)
  • Institute of Academic Studies   (Gulenist)
  • North American College  (private Gulenist post-secondary institution)

Muhammet Turkay
  • Teacher, Dove Science Academy
  • Vice Principal, Memphis School of Excellence  (Gulen charter school)

Hakan Yagci
  • Board Member, Sky Foundation d.b.a. Dove Science Academy
  • Principal, Harmony Science Academy College Station  (Gulen charter school)
  • Principal, Harmony School of Nature and Athletics  Dallas  (Gulen charter school)

Zekeriya Yuksel
  • Principal/Executive Director, Dove Science Academy
  • Board Member, Sky Foundation d.b.a. Dove Science Academy
  • Harmony Science Academy San Antonio  (Gulen charter school)
  • Regional Superintendent, Harmony Public Schools  (network of Gulen charter schools)