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

"With sorrowful hearts and humble acceptance of Allah's will, we share the news of the departure of Fethullah Gülen Hocaefendi from this temporal world." Chestnut Retreat Center where Mr. Gulen resided since 1999 announced.

A New Report In Sweden Reveals Erdoğan Orchestrated July 15 Coup In Turkey

Last year’s failed coup attempt in Turkey is nothing but a false flag orchestrated by Turkey’s autocratic President Recep Tayip Erdoğan and his henchmen to create a pretext for a mass persecution of critics and opponents in a state of perpetual emergency, a new detailed study titled ‘July 15: Erdoğan’s Coup’ by Stockholm Center for Freedom (SCF) concluded.

German intel expert says, based on CIA, BND reports, Erdoğan was behind failed coup

German intelligence expert and author Erich Schmidt-Eenboom has said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, not the faith-based Gülen movement, was behind a failed coup attempt in Turkey on July 15, 2016 based on intelligence reports from the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND).

Gülen: The coup attempt was an outrageous scenario constructed by Erdoğan

“Last year’s failed coup attempt in Turkey [was] nothing but a false flag orchestrated by Turkey’s autocratic President Erdoğan and his henchmen to create a pretext for [the] mass persecution of critics and opponents in a state of perpetual emergency,” SCF concluded.

Fethullah Gulen on 'GPS': Failed Turkey coup looked 'like a Hollywood movie'

"I have always been against coups, and I cursed them," he said. "I would curse people who resort to coups against democracy, liberty, republic." Gulen said returning to Turkey would only complicate matters. Asked if he had a message for Erdogan, Gulen said: "I only pray that he would not go to the presence of God with all these sins he committed."

Powerful but reclusive Turkish cleric - BBC's interview with Fethullah Gulen

Fethullah Gulen has been called Turkey's second most powerful man. He is also a recluse, who lives in self-imposed exile in the US.

More evidence Erdogan behind coup

While the narrative voiced by Erdogan and echoed by the Turkish press blamed Gülen exclusively, many Turks and diplomats quietly harbored suspicions that Erdogan planned and staged the coup himself as a Turkish equivalent of the Reichstag Fire. That may once have sounded like a fringe conspiracy, but increasingly it seems the likely genesis of events last July.