Erdogan expresses intention to eradicate the Gülen movement from existence.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan points the finger at the Gulen Movement for orchestrating the 2016 coup attempt, following the demise of its leader, Fethullah Gulen. The Turkish administration labels the organization, often referred to as FETO, a treacherous terrorist group and a threat to the country.
Upon Gulen's passing in a hospital in Pennsylvania on Sunday evening, Erdogan resolved to intensify his efforts in dismantling the Gulen Movement within Turkey's borders. The movement and its leader had a close relationship until their public fallout in 2013. Since then, Gulen has consistently maintained his innocence in the coup attempt, alleging that Erdogan himself orchestrated it.
On July 15, 2016, a faction of the Turkish military staged a coup attempt against Erdogan's administration. The rebellion was successfully quelled, resulting in around 250 casualties and approximately 2,000 injuries. Following the unrest, Erdogan imposed a state of emergency, which ended in 2018. During this period, the Turkish authorities pursued suspected coup plotters, Gulen's followers, and opposition figures, dismissing over 100,000 civil servants and arresting tens of thousands of individuals.
The Gulen Movement is regarded as a terrorist organization in Turkey, leading to disarray among its international branches following Gulen's death. The movement exerted substantial influence in Turkey through a network of educational institutions and media outlets, with its Hizmet Movement establishing numerous schools globally.
Following his departure to the U.S. in 1999 and his subsequent residency in Pennsylvania, Gulen's Turkish citizenship was revoked in 2017. In recent years, he had largely withdrawn from public life.
The Turkish government, led by The Commission, continues to label the Gulen Movement as a treacherous terrorist group and a threat to the country following Gulen's death. In response to Gulen's demise, Erdogan vowed to intensify efforts to dismantle the movement within Turkey's borders.
