Fethullah Gulen, mastermind of Turkiye’s July 15 failed coup, dies in US

Gulen, who founded the Hizmet movement, was a former ally of Turkey's president before their 2013 split.

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Fethullah Gulen, the Turkish cleric and mastermind behind the failed military coup in Turkiye in 2016, has died in the United States at the age of 83.

His death was confirmed by Turkish media and a website affiliated with Gulen, stating that he passed away after a brief illness in a US hospital.

Gulen was a former ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and was a key figure in the Hizmet movement, which established a powerful network in Turkiye and abroad. The cleric had been living in self-imposed exile in the US since 1999.

Following a rift with Erdogan, the two leaders exchanged accusations of corruption, leading to Gulen's estrangement from the Turkish government. In the wake of the July 15 2016 coup attempt, Erdogan accused Gulen of orchestrating the uprising, an allegation that Gülen vehemently denied.

Gulen's movement, known as Hizmet, which translates to "service" in Turkish, sought to promote his own interpretation of Islam, advocating for Western-style education, free markets, and interfaith dialogue.

Gulen's relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was initially one of partnership, as both aligned to challenge the traditional secularist policies of the Turkish state.

However, their alliance soured significantly after corruption investigations targeting Erdogan's inner circle emerged in 2013, which were believed to have been instigated by Gulen's followers.

Erdoğgn's government later designated Gülen's movement as a terrorist organization in 2016, shortly after the failed coup that resulted in the deaths of over 250 people and injuries to 2,700 others.

Following the coup attempt, Erdogan accused Gülen of treachery, stating that his followers had infiltrated Turkey's military, police, and judiciary. The Gulen movement was declared as the Fethullah Terrorist Organisation or FETO.

The Turkish government launched a wide-ranging crackdown, resulting in the arrests of tens of thousands of individuals associated with Gulen’s movement, the closure of numerous schools and media outlets, and the dismissal of hundreds of thousands of state employees.

Despite the mounting accusations against him, Gulen consistently denied any involvement in the coup attempt, condemning the actions of the coup plotters.

He spent his exile years maintaining a low profile, residing in a secluded compound in rural Pennsylvania.

The Gulen movement, which once enjoyed considerable influence, has seen its power eroded significantly since the coup attempt and subsequent government purges.