Why was Mr. Gulen’s name brought up in the coup attempt in Turkey?


Date posted: July 17, 2016

Q: Do you know why the president (Erdogan) needed to bring your name up in this [coup attempt]?

Fethullah Gulen: He (Mr. Erdogan) has always had a reaction to those who do not obey him since the beginning.

As I previously expressed in other occasions, maybe, he was concealing some of his feelings.

There are things they were not able to achieve worldwide. People in the Hizmet Movement opened schools in 170 countries.

They tried to open Yunus Emre houses in 14-15 locations but they could not be successful. Turkish Olympiads displeased them.

Before founding the [AK] Party, he came to consult with me about founding the party. I met with him twice. One is when he came to ask my opinion about founding the [AK] Party. I suppose, he went to other people as well. It was not only a matter of asking opinion but also seeking support. I expressed my own considerations at the time.

Then my friends told me this. After he met with me in the 5th floor (Altunizade, Istanbul), when he was in the elevator, he said to the person next to him “we need to defeat them, vanquish them first.”

That is, they do not want any alternative formation, any service to exist.


Related News

RELIABLE ENVIRONMENT : GULEN INSPIRED SCHOOLS

Gulen Inspired Schools provides an environment where they trust in a clear long-term gain. One of the main factors behind the success of these schools is commitment and dedications that have been presented by teachers and managers. One common characteristic of the staff is the commitment to the common goal to make a positive impact to the society.

Behind the secret documents – Turkish government profiled a large number of individuals

A story which was published by Taraf daily on Monday has shaken the country. According to the story, the Turkish government profiled a large number of individuals whom it believed to be followers of certain religious and faith-based groups and monitored their activities up until 2013.

Cleric’s Lawyers Want US Suit Backed by Turkey Tossed

Attorneys for a reclusive Muslim cleric living in exile in Pennsylvania asked a federal judge late Wednesday to dismiss a lawsuit that claims he orchestrated human rights abuses in his native Turkey, denouncing it as “pure political theater” by the Turkish government.

Unlawful acts revealed in police raids on Gülen-inspired schools

Another illegal practice was revealed on Wednesday regarding police raids on schools inspired by the faith-based Gülen movement, popularly known as the Hizmet movement, on Sept. 21, as officers refused to give a copy of the police report of seized items to school authorities despite demands by the institution’s lawyers.

Turkey’s Erdogan exploiting failed coup to crush dissent, tighten grip on power

After a searing summer that has already featured a failed military coup, spectacular terrorist attacks and now a new war across the border in Syria, Turkey’s cultural elite is watching with increased unease as authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rides a wave of nationalism that they fear will be used to brand his critics as enemies of the state.

Deputy denies telling daily Star of Hizmet plot against him

Independent deputy İhsan Barutçu denied telling the Star daily that the Hizmet movement had plotted against him, after the daily ran a headline on Friday with a quote from the deputy.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

27th Abant Final Declaration on Democratization of Turkey

Pro-gov’t journalist proposes torturing jailed Gülen followers to force them to talk

119 people in Turkey died due to crackdown on Gülen movement in 2019 (430 people died since 2016)

EP says Erdoğan’s ‘treason’ accusation ‘totally unacceptable’

Turkish associations in US condemn Boston Marathon attack

12-year-old denied departure from Turkey for treatment in Cuba dies of cancer

Pakistani rights group calls for immediate release of abducted Turkish principal, family

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News