The Turkish cleric accused of orchestrating a violent coup attempt in 2016, Fethullah Gulen, has passed away at the age of 83, as confirmed by the Turkish foreign minister.
Living in self-imposed exile in the United States, Gulen died after being admitted to a hospital in Pennsylvania, according to reports from Turkish media.
Often regarded as Turkey’s second most influential figure, Gulen was the spiritual leader of the Gulen movement, a significant Islamic community with followers both in Turkey and globally.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the Gulen movement of orchestrating the 2016 coup attempt, a claim Gulen consistently denied.
During a press conference in Ankara, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that intelligence sources had verified Gulen’s death, labeling him as the leader of a “dark organization.”
Gulen gained prominence by asserting that Turkish youth had lost their direction, advocating education as the solution.
He became known for promoting a tolerant interpretation of Islam that emphasized altruism, modesty, and hard work.
His movement, known in Turkey as Hizmet or “service,” initially gained traction by establishing schools and eventually expanded to open educational institutions throughout Turkey and around the world.
As the movement flourished, followers ventured into business and secured positions within the government and military.
Hizmet was initially an ally of Erdogan, but in 2013, the Turkish president turned against the movement, vowing to close hundreds of its schools and purge the government of Gulenists, whom he labeled a “state within a state.”
Gulen-affiliated police officers were accused of conducting raids against Erdogan’s associates, leading the Turkish government to officially designate Hizmet as a terrorist organization in May 2016.
Two months later, a faction within the Turkish army attempted to overthrow Erdogan, claiming to act in defense of democracy against the authoritarian president.
That night was marked by violence, with soldiers raiding TV stations, explosions heard in Istanbul and Ankara, protesters shot, and both the parliament and presidential buildings coming under fire.
But the coup failed to gain support from the public or the wider military and the army faction leading it was forced to surrender.
The government blamed Gulen, but he denied the claims and condemned the coup.
Thousands of arrests ensued, including nearly a third of the military’s top brass, along with numerous officials and bureaucrats.
At that time, Gulen had already been living in self-imposed exile in the United States, having relocated there in 1999.
Turkey requested his extradition to face trial; however, the U.S. stated it needed to see evidence of his involvement in the coup first. He remained in the U.S. until his death.
In 2014, BBC News conducted an interview with Gulen at his secluded estate in Pennsylvania.
During the interview, the cleric proved elusive, skillfully avoiding questions about who he would support in the upcoming Turkish elections.
“If I were to say anything to people I may say people should vote for those who are respectful to democracy, rule of law, who get on well with people,” he said.