The Final Curtain for Fethullah Gülen: A Comedic Take on a Somber Event
Well, well, well! It seems the saga of Fethullah Gülen has come to a rather unfortunate end—he’s shuffled off this mortal coil, crossed the great divide, and quite frankly, he’s not just playing hard to get anymore. His departure has been confirmed by Turkish authorities this Monday, and let’s just say the reactions are as mixed as a selection box of chocolates after a family gathering where everyone had too much to drink!
The Death of a “Terrorist” Preacher
According to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, “The leader of this dark organization is dead, but our nation’s determination in the fight against terrorism will continue.” Now, if that isn’t the worst “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” spin ever! This sounds like a classic case of “I didn’t like him anyway” but replace “him” with “a possibly dangerous individual who I once was buddies with.” Talk about a plot twist worthy of a daytime soap opera!
Gülen—who’d been in exile in Pennsylvania, probably sipping on pumpkin spice lattes while living under the radar—was once Erdogan’s sidekick. But after they parted ways like the awkward couple in a romcom, he became public enemy number one. You know it’s serious when your former friend does a complete 180 and throws shade in the form of accusations of terrorism. And let’s not forget the new nickname: “Fetö.” You’d think if they’re going to drag you through the mud, they might pick a name that rolls off the tongue a little easier!
A Non-Event or Just the End of a Season?
Bayram Balci, a researcher—because we need someone smart in the room—suggests that Gülen’s death will be a non-event in Turkey, much like that 5-hour movie no one talks about at award shows. With few adherents left in Turkey, one has to wonder if Gülen’s passing was like that of a celebrity whose star faded faster than a poorly titled sitcom. Erdoğan and Gülen went from BFFs to a rivalry that would make any Marvel superhero movie jealous.
The Traitor’s Grave: A Mystery Fit for a Thriller
Now, if you’re thinking about funeral arrangements, they’re decidedly low-key. Rumor has it the “location of his grave will be kept secret,” which sounds thrilling—almost like it belongs in a “National Treasure” sequel! Imagine the treasure hunters: “The Secret Tomb of Gülen!” Next thing you know, people will be tuning in to the Discovery Channel for the ultimate grave-hunting adventure!
The Pursuit Continues
Oh, and if you thought the drama ended with Gülen’s death, you couldn’t be more wrong! The Turkish government intends to keep pushing the “terrorist organization” envelope. Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunç promises that the fight will continue. Not since the fallout of a reality TV show has there been such determination to iron out all the *cough* “wrongs” that have been done. It’s like watching a cat with a laser pointer—endless and futile!
After the attempted coup in 2016, purges have rolled through Turkey like a particularly oppressive season of “Survivor,” with dozens being tossed out of jobs. It’s less “Veni, Vidi, Vici” and more “Dismissed, Arrested, Forgotten!”
The Gülen Movement: A Fading Shadow
So, where does this leave the Gülen movement? According to Balci, its strength has fizzled. Once operating schools across the globe, now it’s more like “help for the downtrodden victims of governmental overreach.” It seems the community is less about expanding and more about dodging the fallout from political fireworks.
In conclusion, whether Gülen was a preacher, a traitor, or a man with a misunderstood charity network, his death opens yet another chapter in Turkey’s ongoing political drama. It’s a narrative filled with accusations, secrets, and retribution—all the qualities one would expect from a great tragedy. But you know what they say: “If you can’t laugh, you might as well bring popcorn!”
Turkey confirmed Monday the death of Muslim preacher Fethullah Gülen, sworn enemy of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced earlier by his relatives in the United States where he had resided for a quarter of a century. “The leader of this dark organization is dead, but our nation’s determination in the fight against terrorism will continue,” announced Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Illustrating Ankara’s persistent vindictiveness towards him, the minister “invited” the imam’s supporters “to abandon the path of treason and error that they have taken and to stop “working against their State and their nation.
The death of the preacher was initially announced by a media close to the Gülenist movement and by one of his nephews on X. The information was also widely relayed and taken up by the official Turkish media.
Accused of leading a “terrorist” group
Inspirer of the Gülen movement, also called “Hizmet” (“Service”, in Turkish), which had developed a sprawling network of schools across the world, Fethullah Gülen settled of his own free will in Pennsylvania, in the United States. , since 1999. Initially an ally of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the preacher had for more than a decade been accused by the Turkish authorities of leading a “terrorist” group. Fethullah Gülen claimed it was just a network of charities and businesses.
According to Bayram Balci, researcher at Ceri-Sciences Po in Paris, contacted by AFP, his disappearance “will remain a non-event in Turkey” where the Gülenist movement is very weakened. “Since the break with Erdogan in 2010 and especially after the attempted coup in 2016, Gülen’s image is very bad. Very few people have retained their esteem for him,” he assures.
“Traitor”
In exile, Erdogan’s former ally escaped the clutches of Ankara for nearly fifteen years: the government accused him of terrorism since a corruption scandal, orchestrated by magistrates attached to the Gülenist nebula, had splashed at the end of 2013 among those close to then Prime Minister Erdogan. The preacher had expressed the wish in 2012 to be buried in Izmir (west), “near his beloved mother”: “No chance”, believes Bayram Balci for whom the imam should be buried “in Pennsylvania”.
According to the private television channel NTV, which cites Turkish security sources, the Gülenist organization has decided that “the location of his grave will be kept secret” and that the funeral will be held with limited attendance, possibly in a forest belonging to a senior leader of the movement in the United States. Turkey, which considers him a “traitor” – and describes the movement as “Fetö” (acronym for Fethullah Gülen Terrorist Organization), stripped him of his nationality in 2017.
“The community is no longer as strong”
After the failed coup of July 15, 2016, the Turkish authorities launched vast purges in the Gülenist ranks which are continuing on a smaller scale. In addition, he demanded from his allies the extradition of any member of the network or close to the imam. “The fight against this organization, which continues to constitute a fundamental national security problem (…) will continue,” Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunç promised on Monday. Prosecutions were initiated against nearly 700,000 people, and 3,000 of them, accused of having played a role in the failed putsch, were sentenced to life in prison, according to the Turkish authorities.
Large-scale purges were also carried out in the ranks of the administration and the army: more than 125,000 people were dismissed from public institutions, including some 24,000 soldiers and thousands of magistrates. According to Bayram Balci, his network of schools, particularly in Africa, has suffered from President Erdogan’s good relations with many countries where Turkey has increased its investments. “The community is no longer as strong,” says the researcher. “She mainly focused on helping the victims of the repression” orchestrated by Ankara, he adds.
