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

Almost 1,000 officers removed from post in İzmir, Ankara

Around 700 police officers, including four deputy chiefs and 70 high-ranking officials, were removed from their posts at the İzmir Police Department and reassigned to different positions on Thursday morning and removals continued later in the afternoon with 207 more officers

Judge jails mother of three, threatens to arrest 3-month-old baby

Ruled on the arrest of a mother of three children a judge in Kırşehir, Turkey, has threatened the relatives of the woman asking them to give up their complaints otherwise her 3-month-old would be the next target.

Erdogan’s Faux Coup may have been Turkey’s Reichstag Fire

Michael Rubin of the American Enterprise Institute just gave us a pat on the back confirming our original assessment of July 2016 that Erdogan had staged the July 2016 coup. Several career Turkish military officers make a persuasive case that Erdogan’s narrative is false and that the coup was essentially Turkey’s equivalent of the Reichstag fire.

University entrance exam results announced, top scorers from Gülen-affiliated schools

Turkey’s Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) on Thursday announced the results of the Transition to Higher Education Examination (YGS), revealing that students from Gülen-affiliated schools, which have been the target of a government-sponsored defamation campaign, are among the top scorers of the exam.

Operation and crossroads: Hizmet movement falsely accused

The delicate position in which the government now finds itself is real, but it is also a fact that the Hizmet movement is being falsely accused.
Those who support the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and are affiliated with the Hizmet movement do not deserve such an outcome.

Today’s Zaman offers condolences to families of mine victims

Today’s Zaman also calls on Turkish officials to do their utmost to regulate privately owned and operated mines to ensure the safety of all workers and miners. The tragic incident in the Soma mine once again reveals the need for a stronger inspection of mines including the safety conditions of workers in line with international standards.

Latest News

Sacramento leaders gather for Iftar dinner in celebration of Ramadan

SEO Skill Suite: Tools for Keyword Research, Technical & Backlink Analysis

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

In Case You Missed It

Who is Fethullah Gülen?

Somalian Ambassador, “We Felt the Eid with Turkish Aids”

Chronology of Dec. 17: The stones are settling into place…

Pakistan Today Editorial: The Turkish connection and Turkish schools

Former politicians call on candidates to publicize personal assets

Education [for Kurds] in mother tongue

Post-coup purge in Turkey leaves children parentless after mother and father are put behind bars

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News