Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric living in the United States, has been accused of orchestrating the failed coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2016. Erdogan’s government has blamed Gulen and his followers, known as the Gulenists, for initiating the coup which resulted in the death of hundreds of civilians and military personnel.
Gulen, who has been residing in self-imposed exile in the US since 1999, has denied any involvement in the coup and condemned the violence that took place during the uprising. The Turkish government, however, has been relentless in their pursuit of Gulen and has sought his extradition from the US to face trial in Turkey.
The failed coup attempt shook Turkey to its core and led to a wide-ranging crackdown on perceived Gulen supporters within the government, military, media, and civil society. Thousands of individuals were arrested, dismissed from their jobs, or imprisoned as the government purged supposed Gulenists from positions of power.
Despite the Turkish government’s allegations against him, Gulen remains a controversial figure with a large following both within Turkey and around the world. His network of schools, businesses, and charitable organizations, known as the Gulen movement, continues to operate in various countries despite being labeled as a terrorist organization by the Erdogan regime.
The ongoing dispute between Turkey and Gulen has strained relations between the US and Turkey, with the extradition request for Gulen becoming a point of contention between the two allies. As the legal battle continues, the fallout from the 2016 coup attempt and subsequent crackdown on Gulenists continues to shape politics and society in Turkey.
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