In 2008, on an otherwise quiet Sunday morning, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney overthrew the Turkish government. This strange episode was part of a much larger story—one involving the rise of the Gülen Movement, a powerful religious network in Turkey, and its influence on the country’s political and judicial systems. At the heart of the narrative was Fethullah Gülen, the Muslim preacher whose movement, once allied with the Turkish government, was behind a wave of controversial cases, including the one that ensnared me. Now, with Gülen’s death this week in Pennsylvania, it’s worth reflecting on the trajectory of his movement and its impact on modern Turkish history.
Fethullah Gülen and the Hizmet Movement
Fethullah Gülen was born in 1941 in the conservative Erzurum region of eastern Turkey. He emerged as a prominent imam in the 1960s and gradually became the leader of a religious movement that extended its reach far beyond Turkey’s borders. What started as a small-scale religious initiative grew into an expansive organization with influence across education, media, and business sectors.
Gülen’s followers, known as the Hizmet (Service) Movement, built a network of schools, think tanks, and media outlets around the world. Gülen himself espoused a blend of Islamic principles with modern education, attracting a wide base of support. His message of tolerance, education, and interfaith dialogue resonated with many, both in Turkey and internationally. By the 1990s, the movement had managed to infiltrate key institutions of the Turkish state, including the police, judiciary, and military.
Gülen’s Influence on Turkish Politics
While the Turkish military remained suspicious of Gülen’s movement, which they saw as a threat to the country’s secular order, the preacher maintained ties with politicians and business elites. His movement had become a significant player in Turkish society, providing its followers with a sense of purpose and a pathway to success, often through education and state employment.
In 1999, however, the Turkish government launched an investigation into Gülen’s activities, accusing him of attempting to establish a theocratic state. This led Gülen to flee to the United States, where he would remain for the rest of his life. His departure from Turkey did little to diminish his influence, though, as the movement continued to grow in both size and power.
The real turning point came with the rise of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP). Erdoğan, who became prime minister in 2003, needed support from a variety of quarters to consolidate his power, and the Gülen movement provided an important ally. Gülen’s network was deeply embedded in the state bureaucracy, and his followers helped Erdoğan’s AKP in its early efforts to reshape Turkey’s political landscape.
The Ergenekon Case: A Turning Point
By the late 2000s, the alliance between Erdoğan and Gülen was proving to be fruitful for both sides. Secular elements within the Turkish military and judiciary were being purged, and the AKP government seemed to be consolidating its hold on power. But tensions were simmering beneath the surface.
The Ergenekon case, which emerged in the late 2000s, was a watershed moment in the relationship between Erdoğan and Gülen. The case revolved around allegations of a shadowy secularist group within the Turkish military and political establishment that was supposedly plotting to overthrow the government. The prosecutors in the case were closely linked to the Gülen movement, and the trials were widely seen as a way for the movement to eliminate its enemies within the state.
The case, which I was indirectly caught up in, involved a sweeping crackdown on journalists, academics, and military officers. Hundreds of people were accused of being part of this so-called “deep state,” and many were imprisoned. Over time, however, it became clear that the evidence in the case was largely fabricated, and the Ergenekon conspiracy was widely discredited. The case ultimately collapsed, but not before it caused significant damage to Turkey’s institutions and public trust.
The Growing Rift Between Gülen and Erdoğan
The collapse of the Ergenekon case and other similar show trials marked the beginning of the end for the alliance between Gülen and Erdoğan. By the early 2010s, the relationship between the two had become strained. The tipping point came in 2012 when a prosecutor linked to the Gülen movement attempted to bring charges against Hakan Fidan, the head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and a close confidant of Erdoğan. The prime minister saw this as a direct challenge to his authority and ordered Fidan not to testify.
The final rupture came in December 2013 when Istanbul police, many of whom were aligned with the Gülen movement, launched a corruption investigation targeting Erdoğan’s inner circle. The investigation implicated Erdoğan’s own son and several high-ranking officials in his government. Furious, Erdoğan retaliated by purging Gülen-affiliated police officers and prosecutors from their posts and publicly accusing the Gülen movement of operating a “parallel state” within the Turkish government.
The 2016 Coup Attempt
The conflict between Erdoğan and the Gülen movement reached its peak in July 2016 when elements of the Turkish military attempted a coup against Erdoğan’s government. The coup, which involved tanks on the streets of Ankara and Istanbul, was a bloody affair that resulted in the deaths of more than 300 people. The Turkish government quickly blamed the Gülen movement for orchestrating the coup, a charge that Gülen himself denied.
Following the failed coup, Erdoğan launched a sweeping crackdown on Gülen’s followers, arresting thousands of people and shutting down institutions linked to the movement. Gülen, who was living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, became a central figure in the ensuing political drama, with Erdoğan repeatedly calling for his extradition from the United States.
Washington’s refusal to extradite Gülen became a major point of contention between the U.S. and Turkey. Erdoğan’s government designated the Gülen movement as the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETÖ), and the crackdown on Gülenists continued for years.
Gülen’s Death and Its Implications
With Gülen’s death this week, some analysts believe that one of the biggest sources of tension between the U.S. and Turkey may finally begin to ease. Soner Çağaptay, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, argues that Gülen’s passing could remove a major diplomatic thorn from the relationship. The Gülen movement, he notes, had already done considerable damage to Turkish democracy through its manipulation of the legal system in cases like Ergenekon.
Soli Özel, a senior lecturer at Kadir Has University in Istanbul, also suggests that Gülen’s death could have a significant impact on the movement itself. “A cult-like organization, once it loses its cult figure, is unlikely to generate the same intensity of loyalty among followers,” Özel says. However, he adds that the movement’s extensive network in the U.S. and elsewhere means that it could still pose a challenge to Erdoğan’s government.
Indeed, Hakan Fidan, who is now Turkey’s foreign minister, has vowed to continue the fight against Gülen’s movement, even after the preacher’s death. “The leader of this dark organization is dead. Our resolve in fighting terrorism remains ongoing,” Fidan declared at a recent press conference.
The Future of the Gülen Movement
As Turkey moves forward without the man who shaped one of its most influential religious and political movements, the question remains: What will become of the Gülen movement? While the movement’s power within Turkey has been greatly diminished, its international network remains active, particularly in the United States. Gülenist schools and organizations continue to operate around the world, and it’s unclear whether the movement will fade away or adapt to its new circumstances.
The Gülen movement was at its peak when I found myself caught in its web back in 2008, but the tides have since shifted. Though the ludicrous charges against me were ultimately dropped, many others weren’t so lucky. Thousands were imprisoned, caught in the crossfire between Erdoğan’s AK Party and Gülen’s network. With the movement’s spiritual leader now gone, the future of this once-powerful organization is uncertain. Will it crumble without its founder, or will it find a way to rebuild and regain its former influence? Only time will tell.
