Fethullah Gülen, an Islamic cleric originally from Turkey, passed away in the United States. Gülen, born in Erzurum, advocated a philosophy that combined Sufism with the defense of democracy, education, and interfaith dialogue. In his early days, Gülen was an ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but the relationship turned conflictual over time.
Erdogan accused Gülen's followers of attempting to establish a parallel state in Turkey, leading to an increasing persecution of these individuals. Gülen had lived in the United States since 1999, maintaining a low profile at an Islamic center in the Poconos. Despite this, his movement, known as Hizmet, had millions of followers in more than 100 countries, including schools in the United States funded with public money.
After a coup attempt in 2016, Erdogan directly accused Gülen of orchestrating the events and demanded his extradition. Gülen, for his part, always denied involvement in such activities and condemned terrorism. As a result of these accusations, thousands of people linked to Gülen's movement were detained, dismissed from public jobs, and related institutions were closed.
Fethullah Gülen, who had health problems for a long time, spent his last years in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, where he continued to be an influential figure for his followers in Turkey and around the world. Abdullah Bozkurt, a former editor of a Gülen-affiliated newspaper, confirmed the news of his death.
