Fethullah Gülen, Erdogan's staunch critic, dies in the U.S.

Social media outlets close to Fethullah Gülen reported the death of this staunch opponent of Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the United States. Reports indicate that Mr. Gülen passed away on Sunday, October 21, in a hospital in the U.S. This religious preacher and ethics and theology teacher had been living in Pennsylvania for the past two decades. The website 'Hercules,' which is close to the Gülen movement, announced the death of this religious scholar. Gülen, born in Erzurum, Turkey, was 83 years old at the time of his death. Media outlets in Turkey, such as NTV and Haber, reported Gülen's death citing accounts from his relatives in the U.S., but the Turkish government has not yet officially reacted to this news. Fethullah Gülen was the founder of a powerful Islamic movement in Turkey and beyond, but he spent the last eight years of his life accused of orchestrating a 'coup' against Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He was an early supporter and ally of Erdogan in his political rise within the Justice and Development Party, but relations between the two later soured significantly. Gülen's name came up repeatedly during the events of mid-summer 2016 in Turkey, when Erdogan accused Gülen of 'coup' and declared its failure, leading to the arrest and trial of thousands of citizens from the military and judicial institutions to universities and schools. Prior to what Erdogan and his supporters called a military coup, there were widespread protests against the then-government amid ongoing clashes between Erdogan's supporters and opponents over various institutions and corruption cases involving Erdogan's close associates. Following the announcement of the 'coup's failure,' Erdogan and new officials appointed to the military, police, and judiciary announced that they would eliminate members of the 'parallel government' from the country and would no longer tolerate the influence of Gülen's supporters in government administration. Fethullah Gülen, rejecting the accusation of orchestrating a coup in his country, had accused Erdogan of exercising power and dominance over government institutions. The U.S. had effectively rejected Turkey's request for Gülen's extradition, which sought to bring him back for trial in the country, during both the Barack Obama and Donald Trump administrations. Fethullah Gülen had stated that he would comply if the U.S. extradited him. He moved to the U.S. 25 years ago after being accused of undermining secularism in Turkey and chose to remain in voluntary exile in that country. His life in the U.S. led to the expansion of educational and social institutions affiliated with him in foreign countries, continuing the movement known as 'Gülen.' These institutions were also established in Central Asian and Eastern European countries. Since the 1970s, Gülen had promoted his views on the role of moderate Islam in guiding people's lives by establishing institutions for education and providing 'public services,' which later led to the establishment of schools, universities, and vocational and technical institutions. With his residence in the U.S., this network also expanded outside Turkey, attracting many Muslims in Western countries to the schools and religious and educational institutions of this network. Educational centers supported by the 'Service Movement' are backed by businessmen and traders, and students studying in these centers are usually from poor backgrounds. Critics accuse Gülen of easily recruiting these individuals, while his organization lacks a formal international structure or a list of official members. Members of this organization claim they are active together only because they have been influenced by Gülen's social service message. Gülen schools, which gained popularity in Central Asia after the collapse of the Soviet Union, were later taken out of the Gülen movement by the governments of these regions under the accusation that they promoted Islamist activities. However, this movement has faced more wrath in Turkey than anywhere else. Erdogan's government has repeatedly accused Gülen's followers of abusing their positions within the state structure to weaken and usurp the government. Erdogan has condemned Gülen several times for alleged behind-the-scenes efforts to undermine his government, including in 2013 during an investigation by the police into a scandal involving several of Erdogan's close associates who were convicted of involvement in financial misconduct. Fethullah Gülen, who had separated from Erdogan over corruption scandals attributed to Erdogan's close associates, accused him of colluding with the Islamic Republic of Iran and enriching himself by helping Tehran circumvent international sanctions. Gülen promoted 'moderate Islam' and cultural aspects of Islam, accusing Erdogan of promoting a Turkish version of 'political Islam' similar to Tehran. He has repeatedly criticized the Islamic Republic of Iran as a Shia government that exercises power by force and has strayed from the path of religious tolerance and patience, and he was quoted as saying he would never set foot in Iran. The Islamic Republic of Iran also took a stance against the 2016 'coup' in Turkey and later expressed deep satisfaction with Erdogan's continued power. Tehran apparently viewed Gülen as a pawn close to the moderate clergy supported by Sunni countries in the region that also seek relations with Israel.