Tushar Arun Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and author of the several best seller books, wrote on his official Twitter profile “Rest in peace Fetullah Gulen in his exile from his beloved country. Another voice of peace muted a great loss to humanity!”
Fethullah Gulen, the influential U.S.-based Turkish Islamic cleric and educator, passed away at the age of 83 in the United States on October 20, 2024. Gulen had been in declining health for years, and his death marks the end of a complex and controversial chapter in modern Islamic and Turkish history.
Gulen was the head of Hizmet, or the “Service” movement, a global network of educational institutions, cultural centers, and universities in over 100 countries. His followers promoted a moderate form of Islam, which earned him millions of adherents. However, Hizmet’s reach and influence, particularly in education, business, and media across regions such as Central Asia, the Balkans, Africa, and the West, also led some to view it as a potential threat.
Gulen’s later years were shadowed by allegations that he orchestrated a failed coup in 2016 against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Turkish government designated his movement as a terrorist organization and carried out widespread crackdowns on his suspected supporters. Gulen vehemently denied involvement in the coup attempt.
Once a close ally of Erdogan, Gulen supported the Turkish president’s rise to power through the religiously conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 2002. However, the two fell out, leading to a deep and bitter rivalry.
For decades, Gulen’s movement was seen as a symbol of Turkey’s soft power, extending Ankara’s influence across the globe. However, the post-2016 repression in Turkey severely weakened the movement’s standing, both domestically and internationally.
Gulen first gained prominence in the late 1960s as the leader of Friday prayers in Izmir, Turkey. Accused of trying to undermine Turkey’s secular state, he fled to the United States in 1999, where he remained in self-imposed exile until his death. Though the charges were eventually dropped, Gulen never returned to Turkey, choosing instead to lead his global movement from his Pennsylvania residence.
Fethullah Gulen leaves behind a mixed legacy, praised by many for his educational and civic contributions but condemned by others for his alleged role in political unrest. His life in exile and the ongoing controversies surrounding his movement ensure that his influence will continue to be debated for years to come.
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