Fethullah Gülen, the US-based Turkish cleric who founded a powerful Islamic movement but later became embroiled in accusations of orchestrating a failed coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has died at the age of 83.
Herkul, a website that publishes Gülen’s sermons, announced his death on Sunday evening at a US hospital where he was receiving treatment.
Once an ally of Erdoğan, Gülen’s relationship with the Turkish leader soured dramatically. Erdoğan accused him of masterminding the 2016 coup attempt in which 250 people were killed. Gülen, who had lived in self-imposed exile in the US since 1999, denied any involvement in the putsch.
Gülen’s movement, known as Hizmet (meaning “service” in Turkish), claimed to promote a moderate form of Islam that embraced Western-style education, free markets and interfaith dialogue. However, since the failed coup, the movement has been systematically dismantled in Turkey and its global influence has waned.
Born in 1941 in eastern Turkey, Gülen was the son of an imam and studied the Quran from an early age. He rose to prominence as a preacher in the 1960s, establishing a network of student dormitories that would evolve into an extensive web of influence spanning education, business, media and state institutions.
The relationship between Gülen and Erdoğan deteriorated in 2013 when corruption investigations targeting ministers and officials close to Erdoğan came to light. Prosecutors and police believed to be affiliated with Gülen’s movement were widely seen as being behind these investigations.
Following the 2016 coup attempt, Erdoğan’s government launched a widespread crackdown on Gülen’s followers. At least 77,000 people were arrested and 150,000 state workers were suspended. Companies and media outlets linked to Gülen were seized or shuttered.
Gülen became an isolated figure in Turkey, denounced by Erdoğan’s supporters and shunned by the opposition, who viewed his network as having undermined the secular foundations of the republic.
The Turkish government long sought Gülen’s extradition from the US, where he had initially travelled for medical treatment. In a 2017 interview, Gülen stated he had no plans to flee the US to avoid extradition.
