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SAYLORSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Fethullah Gülen, a reclusive U.S.-based Islamic cleric who inspired a world societal activity while facing accusations he masterminded a grounded 2016 coup successful his autochthonal Turkey, has died.
Abdullah Bozkurt, nan erstwhile editor of nan Gulen-linked Today’s Zaman newspaper, who is now successful exile successful Sweden, said Monday that he said to Gulen’s nephew, Kemal Gulen, who confirmed nan death. Fethullah Gülen was successful his eighties and had agelong been successful sick health.
The state-run Anadolu Agency quoted Turkish Foreign Ministry Hakan Fidan arsenic saying nan decease has been confirmed by Turkish intelligence sources.
Gülen spent nan past decades of his life successful self-exile, surviving connected a gated compound successful Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains from wherever he continued to wield power among his millions of followers successful Turkey and passim nan world. He espoused a accuracy that blended Sufism — a mysterious shape of Islam — pinch staunch defense of democracy, education, subject and interfaith dialogue.
Gülen began arsenic an state of Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but became a foe. He called Erdogan an authoritarian bent connected accumulating powerfulness and crushing dissent. Erdogan formed Gülen arsenic a terrorist, accusing him of orchestrating nan attempted subject coup connected nan nighttime of July 15, 2016, erstwhile factions wrong nan subject utilized tanks, warplanes and helicopters to effort to overthrow Erdogan’s government.
Heeding a telephone from nan president, thousands took to nan streets to reason nan takeover attempt. The coup-plotters fired astatine crowds and bombed parliament and different authorities buildings. A full of 251 group were killed and astir 2,200 others were wounded. Around 35 alleged coup plotters were besides killed.
Gülen adamantly denied involvement, and his supporters dismissed nan charges arsenic ridiculous and politically motivated. Turkey put Gülen connected its most-wanted database and demanded his extradition, but nan United States showed small inclination to nonstop him back, saying it needed much evidence. Gülen was ne'er charged pinch a crime successful nan U.S., and he consistently denounced coercion arsenic good arsenic nan coup plotters.
In Turkey, Gülen’s activity — sometimes known arsenic Hizmet, Turkish for “service” — was subjected to a wide crackdown. The authorities arrested tens of thousands of group for their alleged nexus to nan coup plot, sacked much than 130,000 suspected supporters from civilian work jobs and much than 23,000 from nan military, and shuttered hundreds of businesses, schools and media organizations tied to Gülen.
Gülen called nan crackdown a witch hunt and denounced Turkey’s leaders arsenic “tyrants.”
“The past twelvemonth has taken a toll connected maine arsenic hundreds of thousands of guiltless Turkish citizens are being punished simply because nan authorities decides they are someway ‘connected’ to maine aliases nan Hizmet activity and treats that alleged relationship arsenic a crime,” he said connected nan one-year day of nan grounded coup.
Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan said Monday that Gülen’s decease “will not make america complacent. Our federation and authorities will proceed to conflict against this organization, arsenic they do against each violent organizations.”
Fethullah Gülen was calved successful Erzurum, successful eastbound Turkey. His charismatic commencement day was April 27, 1941, but that has agelong been successful dispute. Y. Alp Aslandogan, who leads a New York-based group that promotes Gülen’s ideas and work, said Gülen was really calved sometime successful 1938.
Trained arsenic an imam, aliases dream leader, Gülen gained announcement successful Turkey immoderate 50 years ago. He preached tolerance and speech betwixt faiths, and he believed belief and subject could spell manus successful hand. His belief successful merging Islam pinch Western values and Turkish nationalism struck a chord pinch Turks, earning him millions of followers.
Gülen’s acolytes built a loosely affiliated world web of charitable foundations, master associations, businesses and schools successful much than 100 countries, including 150 taxpayer-funded charter schools passim nan United States. In Turkey, supporters ran universities, hospitals, charities, a slope and a ample media empire pinch newspapers and power and TV stations.
But Gülen was viewed pinch suspicion by immoderate successful his homeland, a profoundly polarized state divided betwixt those loyal to its fiercely secular traditions and supporters of nan Islamic-based statement associated pinch Erdogan that came to powerfulness successful 2002.
Gülen had agelong refrained from openly supporting immoderate governmental party, but his activity forged a de facto confederation pinch Erdogan against nan country’s aged defender of staunch, military-backed secularists, and Gülen’s media empire threw its weight down Erdogan’s Islamic-oriented government.
Gülenists helped nan governing statement triumph aggregate elections. But nan Erdogan-Gulen confederation began to crumble aft nan activity criticized authorities argumentation and exposed alleged corruption among Erdogan’s soul circle. Erdogan, who denied nan allegations, grew weary of nan increasing power of Gülen’s movement.
The Turkish leader accused Gülen’s followers of infiltrating nan country’s constabulary and judiciary and mounting up a parallel state, and began agitating for Gülen’s extradition to Turkey moreover earlier nan grounded 2016 coup.
The cleric had lived successful nan United States since 1999, erstwhile he came to activity aesculapian treatment.
In 2000, pinch Gülen still successful nan U.S, Turkish authorities charged him pinch starring an Islamist crippled to overthrow nan country’s secular shape of authorities and found a belief state.
Some of nan accusations against him were based connected a portion signaling connected which Gülen was alleged to person told supporters of an Islamic authorities to bide their time: “If they travel retired excessively early, nan world will quash their heads.” Gülen said his comments were taken retired of context.
The cleric was tried successful absentia and acquitted, but he ne'er returned to his homeland. He won a lengthy ineligible conflict against nan management of then-President George W. Bush to get imperishable residency successful nan U.S.
Rarely seen successful public, Gülen lived softly connected nan grounds of an Islamic retreat halfway successful nan Poconos. He occupied a mini flat connected nan sprawling compound and near mostly only to spot doctors for ailments that included bosom illness and diabetes, spending overmuch of his clip successful dream and meditation and receiving visitors from astir nan world.
Gülen ne'er joined and did not person children. It is not known who, if anyone, will lead nan movement.
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Associated Press Writer Suzan Fraser contributed from Ankara, Turkey.