Fethullah Gulen: The Controversial Islamic Preacher Passes Away
Fethullah Gulen, the prominent Islamic preacher who once stood as a significant ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, has passed away at the age of 83. His death occurred late Sunday in a hospital in the United States, where he had lived in self-imposed exile since 1999. The news was announced via the social media account of Herkul, a platform known for sharing his sermons, although the announcement did not specify the cause of his death.
Gulen’s journey began as a provincial preacher in Turkey, and he went on to establish a vast international movement known as Hizmet, which translates to “service” in Turkish. This movement was notable for running educational institutions and promoting a vision of Islam that embraced free markets, scientific inquiry, and interfaith dialogue. However, despite these seemingly progressive ideals, Gulen faced significant criticism from detractors who accused him of harboring ulterior motives.
In the early years of his political career, Erdogan found a valuable ally in Gulen’s followers, who were instrumental in supporting his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). The alliance, however, began to fray approximately a decade ago, culminating in a dramatic split following the failed coup attempt in 2016. The coup resulted in the tragic loss of around 250 lives and was met with an overwhelming response from the Turkish government.
- Aftermath of the Coup: Erdogan accused Gulen of orchestrating the coup, leading to a sweeping crackdown that included:
- Imposition of a state of emergency lasting two years
- Detention of approximately 100,000 individuals
- Purge of around 150,000 public sector employees
- Prosecution of over 8,000 military personnel on charges related to the insurrection
This extensive purge led to the closure of Gulen-affiliated schools and media outlets in Turkey, effectively dismantling the movement’s influence as a visible entity within Turkish society and politics. Many prominent Gulenists sought refuge abroad, fleeing the crackdown.
Throughout his life in exile, Gulen maintained that he had no involvement in the coup attempt, leading to a largely reclusive existence in Pennsylvania. However, this isolation did little to quell the persistent and often unsubstantiated claims from Erdogan and other Turkish officials, who portrayed Gulen as an American agent intended to undermine Turkey.
The Turkish government made repeated attempts to secure Gulen’s extradition to stand trial, yet the United States consistently refused these requests, contributing to ongoing diplomatic strains between the two nations.