Fethullah Gulen, a US-based Islamic cleric accused of orchestrating a failed coup in Turkiye in 2016, has died at the age of 83.
Gulen, who spent decades in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, was known for leading a global movement advocating education, interfaith dialogue, and democracy.
His death was confirmed by his nephew, Kemal Gulen, according to exiled journalist Abdullah Bozkurt, the former editor of the Today’s Zaman newspaper. The Turkish Foreign Ministry confirmed the news through intelligence sources.
Once a close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Gulen fell out with him and became one of the government’s most targeted opponents.
Gulen accused Erdogan of authoritarianism, while Erdogan labelled Gulen a terrorist, blaming him for the military-led coup attempt.
During the night of July 15, 2016, factions within the Turkish military tried to overthrow the government using tanks, warplanes, and helicopters.
Citizens responded to Erdogan’s call to resist, flooding the streets. The violent clash left 251 people dead and over 2,200 injured.
Though Gulen denied involvement in the coup, Turkey demanded his extradition, but the US did not comply, citing insufficient evidence.
Following the coup, Turkiye launched a crackdown on Gulen’s movement, arresting thousands and closing institutions linked to him. Gulen denounced the purge as a “witch hunt” targeting innocent citizens.