Lotus School for Excellence: Evidence of Affiliation with the Gulen Movement


by C.A.S.I.L.I.P.S. - Citizens Against Special Interest Lobbying in Public Schools

Lotus is a publicly-funded charter school in Aurora, Colorado.


Hakan Batan

  • Former Lotus School for Excellence board member
  • Loaned Lotus School for Excellence $132,000 at 9.5% interest rate in May, June 2007.  Loans mature in Oct 2013.
  • President Colorado Turkish American Chamber of Commerce, a.k.a. CO-TA  (this Gulenist organization has connections with the Northern Lights Society and the Niagara Foundation of Minnesota, both also Gulenist non-profits, through Murat Ergen)

Adnan Doyuran 

  • Principal, Lotus School for Excellence
  • Principal, Momentum Middle School, San Diego  (Gulen charter school which has since changed its name to Magnolia Science Academy San Diego)
  • Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation, California  (Gulenist non-profit)
  • Dean of Academics at Magnolia Science Academy 1, Reseda, California (Gulen charter school)
  • Petitioner, Sequoia Academy of Science, Gulen charter school proposed in 2006 by the Dialog Foundation (Dialog, a Gulenist non-profit, is now the Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation)
  • Petitioner, Orange Science Academy, Gulen charter school proposed in 2006 (other petitioners: Ertan Salik, Saken Sherkhanov, Ali Gurel)

Varol Gurler

  • Principal, Lotus School for Excellence, Aurora, Colorado
  • Principal, Sonoran Science Academy Phoenix  (Gulen charter school)
  • Principal, Magnolia Science Academy 1 Reseda  (Gulen charter school)

Alptekin Kavi

  • Board member, Lotus School for Excellence
  • Loaned Lotus School for Excellence $145,970 at interest rates up to 8.5%
  • Tour guide on Gulenist Turkey trip (see travel blog of Alan Gottlieb, publisher of Education News Colorado)

Timur “Tim” Saka

  • Founder, Lotus School for Excellence
  • Teacher, Beehive Science and Technology Academy  (Gulen charter school)
  • Teacher, Magnolia Science Academy 1 Reseda  (Gulen charter school)
  • Principal, Magnolia Science Academy Santa Clara  (Gulen charter school)

Emrah Turgut

  • Petitioner, Lotus School for Excellence Longmont (proposed Gulen charter school)
  • Rumi Club, University of Colorado (Gulenist organization; its website contains references to Fethullah Gulen and mentions that the club founders are inspired by him)

Zhandos Utegulov

  • Founder, Board Member, Lotus School for Excellence
  • Author, Fountain Magazine  (the main US publication of the Gulen Movement; Fethullah Gulen writes the lead article of each issue)
  • Multicultural Mosaic Foundation  (Gulenist nonprofit)
  • Member, Niagara Foundation Nebraska  (Gulenist nonprofit)

Umit “Matt” Yapanel

  • Founder, Board President, Lotus School for Excellence, Aurora
  • Loaned $40000 to Lotus School in 2007 at 9.5% interest rate; loan matures Oct 30, 2013
  • Petitioner, Lotus School for Excellence Longmont
  • Petitioner, Lotus School for Excellence Jefferson County
  • Director, Multicultural Mosaic Foundation   (Gulenist nonprofit)
  • Accord Institute for Education Research  (Gulenist nonprofit)