Fethullah Gulen, the exiled Muslim cleric accused by Turkey of orchestrating the failed 2016 coup attempt, has died at the age of 83 in Pennsylvania, where he had lived for over two decades. Gulen, once a close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, became his staunch adversary after their fallout in 2010. The Turkish government confirmed his death, and Gulen’s website, Herkul, announced that he passed away on October 20, 2024.
Gulen moved to the U.S. in 1999, originally for health reasons, and continued to lead his influential Hizmet movement, which ran a global network of schools. However, in 2016, Erdogan accused Gulen of masterminding a coup attempt that left 250 people dead, dubbing Hizmet the “Fethullah Terror Organization” (FETO). Gulen denied any involvement in the coup.
Following the coup, Turkish authorities launched a widespread crackdown, prosecuting over 700,000 individuals and imprisoning thousands of Gulen’s followers. Despite Gulen’s death, Turkey has vowed to continue its fight against what it views as a national security threat.
Experts suggest that Gulen’s death will have little impact in Turkey, where his image was significantly tarnished following the coup attempt. The Hizmet movement’s influence has waned in recent years, with its educational network now operating primarily in countries like the U.S., Germany, Nigeria, and South Africa.
Gulen’s funeral is expected to be a small, private affair in the U.S., with Turkish officials stating that his body will not be repatriated for burial in Turkey.
