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

Slain prosecutor’s daughter: My father was not with Gülen movement

The daughter of former Bursa public prosecutor Seyfettin Yiğit, who allegedly committed suicide in a prison bathroom on Friday morning after he was put behind bars over Gülen movement ties, said on Saturday that her father was not affiliated with the Gülen movement but was with the Süleymancı movement, an Islamic movement in Turkey founded by Turkish Islamic scholar Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan in the early 20th century.

Bank Asya weathers withdrawals, says CEO

“The deposit withdrawal was a significant sum, but new deposits worth more than half that amount were placed in the bank, making it possible for us to manage our liquidity,” Beyaz told Reuters in an interview late Jan. 21.

Turks Should Question The Official Narrative That Gulen Was Behind The Coup

I am not trying to absolve one side or the other. The coup attempt was a heinous assault on Turkey’s civilian politics and the plotters must be punished in a fashion that deters similar actions in the future. What I am trying to understand is why everyone agrees that Gulenists did it when there is little evidence and that is even questionable.

A Muslim Cleric That America Should Support

Usually, when Americans hear the term “Muslim cleric,” they cringe. Yet there’s an Islamic religious leader who calls for peace and inter-faith dialogue, whose supporters are being rounded up by an increasingly authoritarian leader. Backing the right leader could be the key in the war against ISIS.

Fethullah Gülen’s Statement on the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression

As the United Nations and the international community recognize the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression, humanity is witnessing the suffering of millions of children, together with their families, from Syria to Yemen, from Libya to Congo, and from Venezuela to Myanmar.

‘Latest developments increased recognition of Hizmet Movement globally’

Madiambal Diagne who is the editor-in-chief of a leading newspaper, Le Quotidien, in Senegal, stated that conflict between Hizmet Movement and Turkish government has paved way for Hizmet Movement to gain recognition worldwide extensively.

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

Gülen extends condolences over death of Saudi King

Will the AKP lose votes in disagreement with Gülen movement?

Turkey, caliphate and Erdoğan

Police raid Gülen-inspired schools in Adana despite ministry regulation

Rethinking the state-people relationship [in Turkey]

Pacifica Institute Utah hosts ‘Love is a Verb’ screening for interfaith season

Minister Şahin praises Journalists and Writers Foundation for courageous coverage

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News