Series of articles in honor of F. Gulen: Dead After 25 Years in Exile: Fethullah Gülen Passes Away
October 21, 2024
Fethullah Gülen, founder of a globally active movement and long considered public enemy number one in Turkey, has died. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan blamed him for the 2016 coup attempt and declared his movement a terrorist organization. Gülen, who had always denied any involvement in the coup, passed away in exile in the United States.
Ercan Karakoyun, chairman of the Dialogue and Education Foundation, announced that 83-year-old Fethullah Gülen died on Sunday evening at 9:21 p.m. local time in a hospital in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The foundation is the German branch of the transnational Gülen movement, which runs schools, tutoring centers, and kindergartens in Germany.
According to the foundation, Gülen was an influential Muslim scholar whose vision sparked the global Hizmet (“Service”) movement. The movement aims to promote a pious lifestyle among Muslims through educational institutions, media, and civic engagement. The movement reported that Gülen had been in poor health for several years.
Gülen: Erdoğan’s Public Enemy Number One
The Turkish government sees Gülen as its greatest domestic threat. President Erdoğan still accuses him of masterminding the 2016 coup attempt and has repeatedly requested his extradition. Gülen always denied the accusations. He had lived in Pennsylvania since 1999.
On July 15, 2016, parts of the Turkish military attempted a coup against Erdoğan’s government. Heavy clashes took place in Istanbul and Ankara between the putschists and pro-government forces. The uprising was eventually crushed. More than 250 people were killed, and over 2,000 were injured. To this day, it remains unclear who exactly was behind the coup. Gülen followers and other critics allege the government staged the event as a pretext to consolidate authoritarian rule and fully criminalize the Hizmet movement.
Under the state of emergency declared by Erdoğan—which lasted until July 2018—the government cracked down not only on suspected putschists and Gülen supporters, but also on opposition groups. Over 100,000 civil servants were dismissed by decree, and tens of thousands were arrested. The Gülen movement has since been labeled a terrorist organization in Turkey, although many other countries have rejected this designation. Among them is Bruno Kahl, head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND), who said: “Turkey has tried on many levels to convince us, but so far without success. The Gülen movement is a civil organization for religious and secular education.”
Karakoyun: The Movement Will Continue
According to the Dialogue and Education Foundation, Gülen’s teachings were based on a contemporary interpretation of Islamic tradition and promoted universal values such as compassion, equality, and justice. He advocated for dialogue among different religious, ethnic, and cultural groups and inspired many to follow his example. The movement is known for its contributions to science, education, social empowerment, and charitable work.
Gülen himself was a vocal critic of radicalism, terrorism, and religiously motivated violence, and worked tirelessly for peace and mutual understanding in a world marked by conflict.
Karakoyun expressed confidence that Gülen’s legacy will continue through the movement’s many educational and humanitarian initiatives:
“His dedication to peaceful coexistence and service to humanity will inspire future generations,” he said. The movement—whose future remains a topic of much debate—will continue to exist. It has always been defined by its decentralized structure and principles of consultation, collaboration, and shared responsibility.
Gülen is to be buried in Pennsylvania.
This is one of several posts in the series of articles commemorating the anniversary of F. Gulen’s departure from this world in November 20th 2024. Follow our page for more interviews, articles and videos speaking about the passed away leader of the Hizmet movement. You are welcome to browse through other related articles HERE.
