Fethullah Gülen, U.S.-based cleric accused of masterminding 2016 coup attempt in native Turkey, has died
CBS16 hrs
Turkish Cleric Gulen Dies in US Exile
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The Facts
Fethullah Gulen, an influential Turkish Muslim cleric, died Sunday at 83 in a US hospital where he was receiving treatment.
Gulen, who was living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, was accused by Turkish Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of orchestrating a failed 2016 coup attempt, which Gulen denied. The coup attempt left around 250 dead and over 2K injured.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Turkey has never provided much evidence for its elaborate allegations against Gulen and the US. Gulen had a controversial and complicated relationship with Erdoğan. Given that Gulen and Erdoğan held somewhat aligned views, their differences were likely connected to the corruption charges against the president rather than religious beliefs.
Establishment-critical narrative
Gulen's long-standing ties to US interests, including alleged links to American intelligence agencies, make it completely reasonable to question whether he worked with Western powers to orchestrate the coup. Washington's refusal to extradite him, not to mention testimonies in Turkey, confirmed his followers were working to destabilize the Turkish government.
