Fethullah Gülen, a renowned Turkish Islamic scholar died on 20 October 2024 at the age of 83. Although his influence spread across the globe, he spent his final years of his life in self-imposed exile in the United States. Gülen was initially an ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who later accused Gülen of orchestrating the 2016 Coup Attempt in Turkey. Whereas Gülen also accused Erdogan of authoritarianism. This split led to the Turkish government launching a massive hunt on Gülen’s followers.
Despite his influence, Gülen’s relationship with his homeland had become fragile due to fallout with Erdogan. Even though he denied any involvement in the coup attempt and called the accusations baseless and politically motivated, he was still accused of the coup. Which is why he decided to live in self-imposed exile in a gated compound in Pennsylvania from the 1990s. Although, he was accused of the military Coup in 2016, the United States did not accept the demands of the Turkish government to send him back to Turkey. Moreover, the United States never charged him with any crime in the U.S.
Gülen wanted a well educated and peaceful Muslim generation
Gülen was popularly known for a movement, known as “Hizmet” (meaning “service” in Turkish), under which several educational institutions were built in more than 160 countries. The schools focused mainly on science and ethics as Gülen’s teachings emphasized the integration of modern science as well as spiritual growth. These schools are seen as efforts by Gülen to create a generation of Muslims that are well educated, all rounders, globally conscious as well as understand civic responsibilities. His followers were often very civic-minded, peaceful, and committed to education which made them get praised globally.
The 2016 Coup attempt in Turkey
The 2016 coup attempt is an important event in Turkey’s recent history as the nation saw several tanks roaming through the streets of major Turkish cities, while helicopters flew over government buildings and started firing on them, also civilians began clashing with rogue military units. However, Erdogan survived the coup and the next minute accused Gülen for orchestrating the unrest from abroad. Followed by which the government arrested thousands of his followers and also closed down Hizmet schools. Media outlets associated with his Gülen called the action a “witch hunt,” highlighting the loss of innocent lives and livelihoods due to the crossfire of Erdogan’s post-coup purge.
Later in his life, Gülen stepped down as an active title holder in his movement and set up a close circle of advisors to carry on his work. Still, his influence continued to shape the activities of his global network. On one hand, his supporters see him as a visionary who aimed for peace, tolerance, and education, on the other hand, some other people, particularly in Turkey, viewed him as a divisive figure responsible for deepening political and social divides.