Gulen’s family announced his death on social media, Turkish media reported. The cleric emigrated to the US in 1999. With his movement he gained millions of followers in Türkiye and other countries.
The Gulen movement is said to have made huge profits thanks to its many donors. After the failed coup in 2016, Erdogan opened a manhunt for Gulen and his supporters, because in Erdogan’s eyes they were behind the bloody coup attempt.
Mysterious
It is unclear what exactly Gulen’s movement is. As far as we know, there are no formal members. After all, it is a network shrouded in mystery. In 2016 it was estimated that there were 5 to 10 million followers.
Gulen directed them from the US, where he has lived in exile since 1999. His message was in no way extremist or outlandish. He advocates moderate Islam, leaning towards Sufism.
He strongly condemned the ‘hijacking of Islam’ carried out by terrorists. He also supports pluralism and democracy. Gulen advocates dialogue with people of all religions; even atheists.
Education as core business
Education is at the heart of what could be called the Gulen empire. In Türkiye the movement has several hundred schools, and throughout the world there are more than a thousand schools. If tutoring institutions are taken into account, the number is even higher. Newspapers and TV channels also belong to Gulen’s network, as do companies and charities. The Kimse Yok Mu charity organization has projects in many countries.
Gulen’s schools and universities are highly respected. From the 1980s onwards, they produced an increasing number of graduates in Türkiye, from the lower middle class, who often worked in the government.
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