Why is Turkey blaming a Pennsylvania cleric for the coup attempt?
At least 161 people have died and more than 1,400 were injured across Turkey after members of the military attempted a coup, blocking traffic on bridges over the Bosphorus in Istanbul and issuing a declaration of martial law.
After leaving a seaside resort for Istanbul, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the nation via FaceTime, . And on Saturday, Mr. Erdogan declared that the coup had failed, .
The term 鈥減arallels鈥� is used by the Turkish government in reference to the followers of Fethullah G眉len, a Sunni cleric who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999. Once an ally, Mr. Erdogan now says the influence of Mr. G眉len as akin to that of a , and has accused him of plotting coups from his 26-acre compound in the Poconos.聽
In a statement, Mr.聽G眉len denied any responsibility for the coup, .
As someone who suffered under multiple military coups during the past five decades, it is especially insulting to be accused of having any link to such an attempt. I categorically deny such accusations....
Government should be won through a process of free and fair elections, not force," he said. "I pray to God for Turkey, for Turkish citizens, and for all those currently in Turkey that this situation is resolved peacefully and quickly."
G眉len exercises tremendous moral and political influence in Turkey, presiding over a movement that blends conservative Muslim values with a cosmopolitan lifestyle. His adherents are rumored to hold sway in the judiciary and national police.
鈥淭he assertion that the TNP [Turkish National Police] is聽controlled by Gulenists is impossible to confirm but we have found no one who disputes it,鈥� , 鈥渁nd we have heard accounts that TNP applicants who stay at Gulenist pensions are provided the聽answers in advance to the TNP entrance exam.鈥�
G眉len聽first attracted a following the 1960s and 1970s, preaching a version of Islam that promoted democracy, interfaith dialogue and secularized education 鈥� particularly science, math and technology 鈥� as a credit to the country, one which did not conflict with his adherents鈥� obligations as Muslims.
His supporters run lobbying groups, Turkish cultural centers and think tanks in global power centers such as Washington and Brussel, and own hospitals, banks, universities and newspapers and TV networks in Turkey and elsewhere. They also operate a global network of schools that number in the thousands, including about 120 charter schools in the United States,聽with a focus on recruiting underprivileged children.
Erdogan, an Islamist who has nonetheless given inspired arguments in favor of the secular character of Turkey鈥檚 political system, has tried battling G眉len in US courts. by a Pennsylvania district court judge charged that the cleric had ordered allies of his movement in the Turkish judiciary and police to target members of a rival spiritual movement.
础苍诲听, G眉len鈥檚 charter schools in Ohio have come under scrutiny for allegations ranging from cheating on tests to overcrowding and sexual misconduct. In April of that year, the FBI raided the headquarters of several G眉len鈥檚 academies in the Midwest, apparently on suspicion of misuse of federal funds.
According to , President Erdogan and G眉len were once allies, with the latter contributing money and urging his followers to vote for Erdogan鈥檚 Justice and Development Party (AKP) in its 2001-2002 rise to power. Both wanted to see the military, which has intervened several times in Turkey鈥檚 history, take a less prominent role in the country鈥檚 affairs. But cracks developed in recent years, finding major expression in 2013, when Erdogan鈥檚 government closed thousands of G眉lenist schools.聽That same year, Erdogan accused the cleric of orchestrating a massive corruption scandal involving key AKP members.
On Saturday, the that the government had begun a purge of聽G眉lenist members from the police, military, and civil service, and Turkey's Prime Minister聽Binali Yildirim said that the government may even consider reinstating the death penalty in the wake of the coup.
US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters Saturday that the US would consider an extradition request from Turkey for聽G眉len if the Erdogan administration were to "present us with any legitimate evidence" of wrongdoing.聽
