Turkish cleric and Erdogan regime opponent Fethullah Gulen speaks at his home in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, on July 18, 2016. (Credit: Thomas Urbain/AFP)
Turkey's public broadcaster TRT announced Monday the death of Muslim preacher Fethullah Gülen, who had been living in the United States for nearly 25 years, citing X accounts and websites linked to his movement. According to TRT, the 83-year-old preacher, accused by Ankara of orchestrating a coup attempt in Turkey in July 2016, died "last night at the hospital where he had been taken."
His website, Herkul, which reported Gülen’s death "on Oct. 20," is banned in Turkey.
"Reverend Fethullah Gülen, who spent every moment of his life serving the blessed religion of Islam and humanity, has today (Oct. 20) walked towards the horizons of his soul," Herkul wrote, stating that "detailed information on the burial procedures will be shared (later) with the public."
The news was widely covered by Turkish media on Monday morning, but there has been no immediate reaction from the authorities.
Gülen, the inspiration behind the Gülen movement, also known as "Hizmet" ("Service" in Turkish), led a vast network of schools worldwide. He had been living in exile in Pennsylvania, U.S., since 1999. For nearly 15 years, he had eluded the grip of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, once his ally, who accused him of "terrorism." Turkey stripped him of his citizenship in 2017. President Erdogan continues to order regular waves of arrests among Gülenists.
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