In pictures, he seems a frail, old man, incapable of killing a fly. With his deteriorating health and staunch religious beliefs, Fethullah Gulen can easily pass off as an unassuming, harmless fellow. But,as the universal warning goes, looks can deceive. Mr. Gulen, former Turkish imam and political figure is currently number one on Tukey’s ‘most wanted’ list. Among other things, Gulen is also accused of leading the infamous Gulenist Terror Organization (FETO), which is said to have been responsible for the July 15 failed coup in Turkey.
A 2008 article by the Foreign Policy and Prospect magazine, declares Gulen, as the world’s top intellectual. Findings of a survey, conducted among readers of the magazine, describe him as an ‘inspirational leader’ to millions of followers around the world. Understandably, Gulen also has a movement to his name. The Gulenist movement or Hizmet (Turkish for service) has exercised a stronghold in Turkey for a long time now. In 2002, Turkey’s ruling party, The Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), and the Gulenists formed an alliance to be able to successfully lead Turkey and weaken the power wielded by the ‘Deep state’, an underground group known for its anti-democratic activities in the country.
However, the alliance broke down in 2013 after Gulen’s split with Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Various events contributed to this historic parting– the AKP members felt that the Gulenists in the police and the judiciary had become too independent. It is alleged, that judges or prosecutors suspected to be Gulenists, played foul in cases where senior military officers were accused of crimes such as trafficking of women, and running illegal organizations. Therefore, by 2010, military vacancies formed due to prosecution of officers, were being taken up by Gulenists. There were also claims that members of the Gulenist movement wire-tapped the AKP offices to listen into their official conversations and plans.
Additionally, in keeping with their professed motive of service, Gulenists established various schools across countries such as Turkey, U.S., Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kenya. This seemed problematic for Erdogan, as he felt they were using educational institutions to promote their ideology which differed markedly from his own. . The final straw came in the form of Operation Sledgehammer — the 2003 operation involved an alleged coup plan in response to AKP’s rise to power. Investigations soon revealed that the Gulenists might have had a part to play in this. This ensured the end of the once allied forces of Gulenists and the AKP. By then, Gulen had moved to Pennsylvania (U.S.),citing medical treatment as the reason. However, various reports suggest that the real reason for his move, might be the fear of being punished over remarks he had previously made in favor of an Islamic state.
The extent of involvement of Gulenists in the recent coup is a matter of serious discussion. On the night of July 15, Erdogan had announced to thousands of television viewers across the country , that the ongoing coup was the handiwork of Gulen. In the days following, Turkey had made several requests to U.S seeking Gulen’s extradition. However, U.S does not seem to be paying much heed to this. Analysts suggest that this could be because of the various undemocratic practices that Erdogan has been following in the last few years, one of which is the detention of several journalists and government officers if he feels even slightly threatened by them. Ironically, the reason he cites for these detentions is the detainees’ alleged links to the Gulenist movement. Political experts have suggested that this could have been one of the motives for the coup. In August 2016, Erdogan was apparently going to purge or demote suspected Gulenists, during the Supreme Military Council. Reports show that in the last few years , the government has arrested 86,000 military forces, detained 15,000 and fired thousands of state employees who they believed were a part of the Gulenist movement. Therefore, the timing of the coup, seems suspiciously convenient for a purge of the scale that followed.
According to Yeni Safak, a Turkish daily, in 2015, the pro-Gulenist officers in the Incirlik air base in Turkey, established an investigation desk. Here, they divided all soldiers under their command to three groups — opponents, neutrals, and supporters. The newspaper suggests that according to sources close to the ongoing legal process of the pro-coup detainees, former U.S commander, General John F. Cambell was responsible for funding the coup. Therefore, soldiers who were opposed to the coup did not get any ‘financial aid’, those who were neutral received money according to the importance of their ranks, and those who supported the coup received a large sum of money. In fact, the article says, that a large sum of money was found in the room of Brigadier General Mehmet Dişli, one of the top military officials detained for leading the coup. According to another related article, titled, ‘ Why the coup might be good for Turkey’, in foreignaffairs.com, in one instance, a police chief who was fired for having alleged links with Gulen, was captured in a tank wearing military camouflage. There was also the case of Lieutenant Colonel Levent Türkkan, who like many others, confessed to being a Gulenist.
However, not all these inferences can be taken at face value. While Gulenists might have had an important role to play in it, internal connections to this coup cannot be fully dismissed. The fact that Erdogan has been using Gulen’s name to bring down anybody he is threatened by and to limit their freedom cannot be overlooked. According to various reports, photographic evidence shows the aforementioned Colonel Turkkan being beaten up when he was detained. This does away with the credibility of his confession. Moreover, the Government’s deep rooted hatred towards the Gulenists needs to be taken into account. In December 2013, when the Gulenists had launched a corruption probe against government members, the AKP had labeled it as an ‘attempt to coupe’. In a recent article by ‘The Wall Street Journal’, General Cambell also dismissed accusations of his financing the coup. U.S President, Barack Obama had also, in one his speeches, denied any U.S involvement in the coup. While investigations continue, , possibilities of other factors that led to the coup cannot be overlooked. There need to be an in-depth study to understand this better.
As of now, Turkey has been on a purging spree, arresting over 32,000 people who are alleged to have links to the Gulenists and the recent coup. They have also taken a hit at the various Gulenists-run schools, claiming that they are being used to infiltrate state institutions. According to an Indian Express article, Turkey has also very recently warned India that FETO might have infiltrated the country through its schools and associations. Meanwhile, Gulen has called for an international probe into the accusation against him. He also volunteered to return to Turkey if found guilty. In the article that declared him the world’s top intellectual, he shared similar views. Gulen said, “I certainly long for my country and my friends there. However, I have submitted myself to my fate and am willingly resigned to however it judges.”
Erdogan and his reluctant supporters and Gulen and his rigid acolytes are locked in a battle to death for the soul of Turkey. How it would play out in the near future or the in the longer term is now too early to tell.
