ANKARA: Foreign Minister of Türkiye Hakan Fidan, while talking to journalists at a Presser held here has confirmed the death of Fethullah Gülen at 83 in a Pennsylvania hospital on Sunday (20th of Oct, 2024).

Turkish-born Islamic Cleric Gülen was the founder of Hizmet (which means service in Turkish), a group of religious, educational and social organisations in the country and abroad. Before becoming bitter enemies, he and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan were considered as close allies.

Gülen Group was designated by Türkiye as Fethullah Terrorist Organisation (FETO) in May 2016 when soldiers hijacked warplanes and tanks etc to topple the government. Erdogan survived and blamed Gülen of master minding the failed coup.

Gülen, living in the States since 1999, denied the charges. While Turkey considers Hizmet to be a terrorist organisation, many believe that the group had been contributing enormously in the field of education including in Pakistan.

Back in 2016, during a Press Conference the then Turkish Envoy here Sadik Babür Girgin while claiming that his country had ‘solid’ evidence that Gulen’s movement was behind the failed coup plot, said: “We have called on all friendly countries to prevent activities of this group”.

It had been claimed during the Presser that ‘CIA had disclosed the route of President Erdogan’s business jet as he flew to Istanbul from Marmaris, where he had been vacationing, putting his life at risk. Two pro-coup F-16s intercepted Erdogan’s plane, but mistook it for a passenger flight’.

Gulen organisations and businesses operated in Pakistan for decades. Besides 21 schools, Rumi Forum was also an active entity here. This scribe had attended a number of events organised by Rumi Forum and found that to be apolitical and intellectual debates propagating the philosophy of Rumi.

Newspakistan.tv