Controversial Turkish Cleric Gulen Dies in US Exile
Controversial Turkish Cleric Gulen Dies in US Exile
The Facts
Gulen, who lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, was accused by Turkish President Erdogan of orchestrating the failed 2016 coup attempt, which he denied.Fethullah Gulen, an influential Turkish Muslim cleric, died at the age of 83 in a US hospital where he was receiving treatment.
The Gulen movement, known as 'Hizmet', spread its influence through education, business, and media, promoting a moderate brand of Islam with Western-style education and interfaith communication.Gulen, who lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, was accused by Turkish Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of orchestrating the failed 2016 coup attempt, which he denied. The coup attempt left around 250 dead and over 2K injured.
The Spin
While Turkey has certainly leveled elaborate allegations against Gulen's Hizmetand movementthe promotedUS government, these theories have never included much evidence. Gulen was a moderate,controversial progressivefigure formwhose ofhistory Islamincludes thatboth embracedpositive education and interfaithnegative dialogue.relations Thewith accusationsPres. ofErdogan. involvementGiven inthat theGulen coupand attemptErdogan were baselessboth secularists, andtheir thedifferences subsequentwere crackdownlikely wasconnected anto unjustifiedthe purgecorruption ofcharges politicallaid opponentsagainst andthe apresident blowrather tothan civilreligious libertiesbeliefs.
Gulen’s long-standing ties to US interests, including alleged links to American intelligence agencies, make it completely reasonable to question whether he worked with Western powers to orchestrate the 2016 coup. Besides his residence in Pennsylvania and Washington's refusal to extradite him, testimonies in Turkey confirm his followers were working to destabilize the Turkish government.
