Getty ImagesFethullah Gulen, the Turkish cleric accused of orchestrating a bloody coup in 2016, has died at the age of 83, according to Turkish media reports and a social media post by a movement close to him.
The report quoted a group close to Gulen as saying that the cleric, who had been in self-exile in the United States, died after being taken to a hospital in Pennsylvania.
Gulen, sometimes called Turkey’s No. 2 man, is the spiritual leader of the Gulen movement, a powerful Islamist group with followers in Turkey and around the world.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blames the 2016 coup attempt on Gulen’s movement, a charge Gulen denies.
Gulen rose to fame by arguing that Türkiye’s youth had lost their way and that education was the best response.
He is known for promoting a tolerant Islam that emphasizes altruism, humility and hard work.
His movement, known as “Hizmet” or “Service” in Turkey, first established itself in schools and later opened educational institutions in Turkey and around the world.
As the movement grew, followers expanded into the business community and began serving within government and the military.
Hizmet was once an ally of Erdogan, but Turkey’s president launched the campaign in 2013 and vowed to close hundreds of schools and purge the government of Gulenists, which he called “a state within the state.” country”.
Police officers allied to Gulen have been accused of carrying out raids on Erdogan allies, and the Turkish government officially declared the Islamic Party a terrorist organization in May 2016.
Two months later, a faction of the Turkish army attempted to overthrow Erdogan. It says its goal is to protect democracy from Türkiye’s authoritarian president.
In a violent night, television stations were attacked by soldiers, explosions were heard in Istanbul and Ankara, protesters were shot at and the parliament and presidential buildings were shot at.
But the coup failed to gain public or wider military support, and the military faction leading the coup was forced to surrender.
The government blamed Gulen, but he denied the claims and condemned the coup.
Thousands of people were subsequently arrested, including nearly a third of the military’s top brass and thousands of officials and bureaucrats.
At that time, Gulen was already living in self-exile in the United States, where he immigrated in the late 1990s.
Türkiye has asked for his extradition to face trial, but the United States says it needs to first see evidence of his involvement in the coup. He remained in the United States until his death.
bbc news Interviewed Gulen at his remote estate in Pennsylvania 2014.
The cleric appeared elusive throughout the interview and dodged questions about who he would vote for in the upcoming Turkish elections.
“If I were to say anything to people, I would probably say that people should vote for people who respect democracy, respect the rule of law, and get along well with other people,” he said.
