The Last Curtain Call for Fethullah Gülen: A Journey of Faith, Exile, and Controversy
Well folks, it’s official: the mastermind behind not one but a couple of Turkey’s biggest plot twists has finally taken his last bow. Fethullah Gülen, the Muslim preacher who, among his many roles, was allegedly the brains behind the 2016 failed coup attempt in Turkey, has passed away at the ripe old age of 83. You know, it’s a real twist in the tale when the supposed puppet master exits the stage, leaving us all wondering how many strings were actually pulled.
According to reports on his platform, Herkul—the only place where one could find the preacher’s musings without being immediately banned (take notes, social media)—Gülen passed away in a hospital in the United States on a Sunday evening. The irony is rich, isn’t it? A man whose life was a tapestry of fractures in Turkey’s political fabric as he lived a cozy American exile. You could almost hear the applause from the Turkish authorities as this “mastermind” slipped away.
Now, let’s rewind the tape a bit. This spiritual leader was once a partner-in-spiritual-crime with none other than Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Can you imagine the dinner conversations? “So Erdoğan, what do you say about our plans for a moderate Islamic movement? Maybe sprinkle in free-market policies?” Fast forward a few years and *boom*—spectacular falling out, some serious blame games, and suddenly Gülen is living that self-exiled life in Pennsylvania like someone who just scored a one-way ticket to the VIP section of international drama!
When he was accused of orchestrating the failed coup, Gülen famously stated, “As someone who has suffered several military coups over the past five decades, it is especially offensive to be accused of having anything to do with such an attempt.” Well, Fethullah, I must say, giving a coup the ol’ College try is one way to have a few military credits under your belt! But how do you condemn an event that has your name written all over it?
Gülen’s movement, Hizmet (which translates to ‘service’ — yes, we could all use a bit of that with our morning coffee), has seen better days. It aimed to spread a moderate interpretation of Islam which—surprise surprise—incidentally supports Western education, free markets, and interfaith dialogue. I mean, quite the cocktail for international relations! However, since the failed coup, the Turkish government whisked away its influence faster than you can say “political purging.” The government has rolled out a systematic eradication plan, leading to widespread arrests and closures of schools, businesses, and other affiliated organizations. It’s like they declared a game of Monopoly but forgot to pass go!
In fact, following the failed coup, more than 77,000 people were arrested and around 150,000 lost their jobs. Honestly, you’d think being turfed out like that would rattle a few cages, wouldn’t you? Erdoğan has never shied away from labeling the Gülen movement as a cancer on the state. Talk about harsh critiques—one might think he was auditioning for a role in a medical drama!
So there we have it: the life of a preacher, who, no matter where he stood in the courtroom of public opinion, had a truly remarkable story. From humble beginnings in Erzurum, where his father was an imam, to becoming a significant player in one of modern Turkey’s most theatrical narratives. Now, he lays at rest, leaving behind a legacy that will continue to spark debate like a pair of firecrackers at a tea party.
And if you were wondering, yes, there’s definitely a lesson here folks: sometimes the best plot twists come with no warning and end in a most unexpected way. But you didn’t need me to tell you that, did you?
Image credits: Produced using Reuters coverage.
The Muslim preacher living in American exile, who was allegedly the mastermind behind the failed coup attempt in Turkey in 2016, has died at the age of 83.
On the preacher’s website called Herkul, which is otherwise banned in Turkey, it was written that he died on Sunday evening in the hospital in the United States, where he was treated. Fethullah Gülen, the founder of the influential Islamic movement, was once an ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, but later they had a spectacular break. Ankara also held him responsible for the failed attempt to take over power in 2016, in which around two hundred and fifty people lost their lives, so he was stripped of his Turkish citizenship.
Gülen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999, denied having anything to do with the coup and condemned it in the strongest possible terms. “As someone who has suffered several military coups over the past five decades, it is especially offensive to be accused of having anything to do with such an attempt.” he said.
The network he founded called Hizmet (Service) seeks to spread a moderate version of Islam that supports Western-style education, the free market, and interfaith dialogue. Since the failed coup, the movement has been systematically eradicated in Turkey, and its influence internationally has greatly diminished.
The Turkish authorities issued an arrest warrant against Gülen in 2014, and his movement was registered as a terrorist organization two years later. In 2016, Erdoğan described its members as traitors and vowed to eradicate the network from Turkey, which he described as a cancer.
Related to this: Three hundred people received life sentences in the mass trial of the 2016 Turkish coup
Hundreds of schools, companies, mediums, and associations linked to the movement were closed. After the attempted takeover, at least 77,000 people were arrested and around 150,000 people were removed from their jobs.
Gülen was born in 1941 in a village in the province of Erzurum in eastern Turkey. His father was an imam, so he studied the Koran from childhood.
Produced using Reuters coverage.