Saudi journalist with links to king visits Erdogan rival Gulen


Date posted: August 1, 2017

A renowned Saudi journalist visited US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen at his home in Pennsylvania last week, in a show of solidarity with the man accused by Turkey of instigating the failed 15 July coup.

In a post on Instagram, publisher of the London-based Elaph news site Othman al-Omeir, who is known for having strong relations with Saudi King Salman, told his followers that he was excited to be meeting such “an influential person in the Middle East” in reference to Gulen.

Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan accuses Gulen of orchestrating 2016 July’s attempted coup, in which rogue soldiers commandeered tanks and fighter jets, bombing parliament and trying to abduct or kill Erdogan. More than 240 people were killed in the violence.

The reclusive preacher, who lives in a tiny town in the Pocono mountains of the US state of Pennsylvania, denies having any role in the putsch and said at the time that he condemned the coup “in the strongest terms”.

Following the visit, Omeir said in tweet: “I spent four hours in the home of the Turkish Islamic leader Fethullah Gulen in Pennsylvania.

“We had a very interesting discussion, here in his simple bedroom where we can see placed around him books and a copy of Quran.”

Omeir published a short video of himself and Gulen standing with the Turkish flag in the background.

Commenting on the video, Omeir said he preferred to stand next to the Turkish flag because “Gulen is not a religious leader, but an influential nationalist in Turkey.”

No details of the interview were published afterwards, however.

Social media users wondered whether Saudi Arabia was sending an implicit message to Turkey through Omeir’s visit.

Translation: Does this visit have anything to do with the weakening of ties between Turkey and Saudi Arabia?

Translation: Othman al-Omeir (known for being close to the palace) visits Gulen, the man behind the failed coup. A clear message from Salman to Turkey.

Translation: Othman al-Omeir’s visit to Gulen, a man close to the UAE, bolsters accusations that the UAE was behind the coup in Turkey.

A Turkish journalist known for his close ties to the government accused the UAE in June of channelling around $3bn to coup plotters. Mehmet Acet, the Ankara bureau chief of pro-government broadcaster Kanal 7, based his claims on remarks attributed to the Turkish foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, about six months ago at an invitation-only panel in Istanbul.

Ankara has stood in support of Qatar during the escalating Gulf crisis, rejecting Saudi demands to close a Turkish military base in the emirate.

On 5 June, Saudi Arabia and the UAE led a severing of all links with Qatar for allegedly supporting groups, including some backed by Iran, “that aim to destabilise the region”. Egypt, Bahrain and other allies followed.

Source: Middle East Eye , July 31, 2017


Related News

Gülen denies attempting to axe peace process

The lawyer of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has strongly denied claims made by the former chairman of the banned pro-Kurdish Democracy Party (DEP) who alleged in a television interview Monday evening that Fethullah Gülen defames, slanders, and obstructs people who support the peace process

CHP leader calls on PM Erdoğan for explanation on action plan against Gülen movement

Republican People’s Party (CHP) head Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has called on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to explain why he signed a National Security Council (MGK) decision in 2004 recommending an action plan against the Gülen movement. “The fact that Erdoğan has [avoided] speaking on such an important matter proves his culpability,” Kılıçdaroğlu argued, accusing the government of hypocrisy.

Religion as a force for peace

ŞAHİN ALPAY One of the great advantages of Turkey, surely, is the dominance of religious scholars who have promoted conceptions of Islam promoting peace, socio-economic development and democracy. In this context, contributions of Said Nursi (1878-1960), a Kurd from Bitlis, and Fethullah Gülen, a Turk from Erzurum, are surely exceptional. In Turkey hopes for an […]

Turkey detainees tortured, raped after failed coup, rights group says

Jason Hanna and Tim Hume Captured military officers raped by police, hundreds of soldiers beaten, some detainees denied food and water and access to lawyers for days. These are the grim conditions that many of the thousands who were arrested in Turkey face in the aftermath of a recent failed coup, witnesses tell Amnesty International. […]

MGK plan in action

A National Security Council (MGK) plan — dated Aug. 24, 2004, titled the “Plan to Crack Down on the Fethullah Gülen Group in Turkey” and undersigned by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, ministers and military commanders of the time — is already being implemented. Though the government claims it was not put into action, there are several indications to suggest that the MGK plan is in effect.

Another ‘coup suspect’ found dead in Turkish prison, bringing total to 21

At least 21 people have reportedly committed suicide either after they were imprisoned over ties to the movement or after being linked to the movement outside prison. The relatives of most of them claim that the detainees are not the kind of people to commit suicide, shedding doubt on the official narrative. Rumours also have it that some of the detainees were killed after being subjected to torture under custody.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Erdogan’s Hate Speech against the Gulen Movement

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Turkish schools praised by Uganda’s education minister

Turkey’s Ongoing Crackdown: nearly 13,000 police officers suspended for alleged links to the Gulen movement

Toward a party state

From Islamophobia to ‘Hizmet-phobia’

Fethullah Gülen’s Message of Condolences for the Death of Soccer Star, Diego Maradona

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News