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Fethullah Gülen, the Turkish scholar and preacher accused by Ankara of orchestrating a failed 2016 coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has died in the United States, where he had lived in self-imposed exile. He was 83.
Turkish media outlets and Herkul, a website associated with Gülen, first reported his death, which was confirmed by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan during a news conference in Ankara. Fidan cited Turkish intelligence in confirming Gülen's passing.
Herkul posted on its X account (formerly Twitter) that Gülen had died Sunday evening at the hospital where he had been receiving treatment.
Gülen was the founder of the Hizmet movement, a once-powerful religious network in Turkey. After a falling out with Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP), Gülen relocated to Pennsylvania. Ankara has labeled Hizmet a terrorist organization, accusing it of infiltrating state institutions and using its influence to attempt a coup.
The failed coup on July 15, 2016, saw parts of the Turkish military seize tanks, jets, and helicopters in an effort to oust Erdoğan. The attempt left 251 people dead and nearly 2,200 wounded.
Following the coup, the Turkish government launched a massive crackdown, arresting judges, military personnel, journalists, and others allegedly linked to Hizmet. More than 20,000 teaching licenses were suspended, with schools in Turkey and abroad, including in the Balkans and Africa, said to be tied to the movement.
Gülen repeatedly denied involvement in the coup, maintaining that he had little control over those affiliated with the movement. "I really don't know 0.1% of the people in this movement," he said. In August 2016, he told Le Monde that he would fully cooperate with any international investigation and called for a fair trial for anyone implicated in the coup.
"No one, neither I nor anyone else, is above the law," Gülen said. "I want all the guilty to face the punishments they deserve."
[Information sourced from Euronews]
