Fethullah Gülen

Fethullah Gülen
VOA · Public domain · source
Name	Fethullah Gülen
Birth date	27 April 1941
Birth place	Pasinler, Erzurum Province, Türkiye
Nationality	Turkish
Occupation	Islamic scholar, preacher, writer
Notable works	Hizmet movement initiatives, sermons, essays

Fethullah Gülen is a Turkish Islamic scholar, preacher, and writer who became the leader of a transnational social and religious network often referred to as the Hizmet movement. He rose to prominence in Türkiye during the 1970s and 1980s through sermons and periodicals, later relocating to the United States where he continued to influence a global constellation of schools, charitable organizations, and media outlets. His movement intersects with diverse actors including religious communities, civil society organizations, and international educational institutions, and has been central to disputes with the Justice and Development Party and the Republic of Turkey government.

Early life and education

Born in Pasinler, Erzurum Province in 1941, he was raised in a family with ties to the Naqshbandi and Qadiri Sufi traditions and completed primary religious studies under local imams and in madrasas. He moved to Istanbul as a young man to study under prominent scholars and became associated with Turkish Islamic intellectuals such as Necip Fazıl Kısakürek and Bediüzzaman Said Nursi through study circles and publications. During the 1950s and 1960s he taught at religious schools and delivered sermons at mosques including those frequented by members of the Süleymancı and Millî Türk Talebe Birliği networks, establishing contacts with journalists, politicians, and civil society figures.

Religious teachings and philosophy

His teachings synthesize elements of classical Sunni Islamic theology, Sufi practice, and modernist engagement with science and technology, drawing on influences from thinkers like Said Nursî and traditionalists such as Rumi and Al-Ghazali. He emphasizes service (hizmet), interfaith dialogue exemplified by initiatives with leaders from the Vatican, World Council of Churches, and Jewish organizations, and advocates for a focus on ethical self-improvement reflected in works reminiscent of Ibn Taymiyya debates and contemporary Islamic thinkers like Abdullah Ayyoub. His writings and lectures address topics including spirituality, civic responsibility, and critiques of materialism, often citing examples from Ottoman reformers and modern Turkish figures such as Turgut Özal and Süleyman Demirel.

Movement and institutions

The Hizmet movement grew into a network of private schools, universities, hospitals, foundations, media outlets, and business associations across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, linked to organizations like the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists and diaspora community groups. Prominent institutions influenced by the movement include chartered and private schools in countries such as Kazakhstan, Pakistan, United States, and Nigeria, partnerships with international organizations like the UNESCO and interactions with academic centers including Harvard University and Georgetown University through conferences and exchange programs. Media entities associated with the movement operated newspapers and broadcasters connecting to Turkish and diaspora audiences, while affiliated NGOs engaged in humanitarian relief alongside actors like Red Cross and bilateral development agencies.

Political involvement and controversies

Initially viewed as a civil society actor cooperating with political figures including members of the AKP leadership and bureaucrats within the Turkish Armed Forces and Judiciary, relations later soured during the 2000s and 2010s leading to intense political conflict. Critics and opponents, including officials from the Republic of Turkey and rival political movements like the Kemalist establishment and Nationalist Movement Party, accused the network of attempting to infiltrate state institutions, prompting investigations and high-profile trials such as those connected to alleged coup plotting and the Ergenekon and Balyoz cases. Supporters countered that the movement focused on education and philanthropy and denounced politically motivated purges carried out after the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt.

Legal status and exile in the United States

He moved to the United States and settled in Pocono Mountains region of Pennsylvania in 1999, obtaining residency and living in self-imposed exile while continuing to communicate with followers via recorded sermons and books. The Republic of Turkey government sought his extradition, accusing him of directing the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt and issuing arrest warrants and international notices, while U.S. authorities reviewed legal and evidentiary standards under treaties and bilateral agreements such as the Extradition Treaty between Turkey and the United States of America. U.S. federal and state agencies examined requests amid debates involving legal scholars, diplomats, and human rights organizations including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International regarding due process and political considerations.

Legacy and criticism

His legacy is contested: supporters credit him with promoting interfaith dialogue, educational expansion, and humanitarian outreach praised by international figures including religious leaders from the Vatican and academic partners in Europe and Central Asia, while critics accuse the network of secretive organization, political manipulation, and erosion of secular institutions, articulated by commentators in outlets connected to rival Turkish political currents and by officials within the Republic of Turkey government. Scholarly analyses in journals and books compare the movement to historical Islamic revival movements and transnational networks such as those associated with Muslim Brotherhood activists and Sufi orders, debating its sociopolitical impact across diaspora communities and nation-states. Prominent trials, media campaigns, and diplomatic disputes continue to shape assessments of his influence among historians, political scientists, and religious studies scholars.

Category:Turkish religious leaders Category:Turkish expatriates in the United States