Who was Fethullah Gulen?

Fethullah Gülen, the leader of FETO, declared a terrorist organization, was buried yesterday. What was his "divine mission"? What is Gulen's relationship with Uzbekistan? How Gulen was able to get into the Turkish government - an analytical article.

In 2016, Fethullah Gülen, the leader of FETO, declared a terrorist organization and accused of organizing a coup d'état in Turkey, died.

83-year-old Gulen has been living in the United States since 1999. The information about his death was also confirmed by his nephew Abu Salama Gulen. It was reported that Fethullah Gulen died on October 20 in a clinic in Pennsylvania.

Who was Fethullah Gulen , who was able to follow thousands of people who are said to be the main culprits of the coup that killed more than 250 people and injured 2,200 people ? What is known about the large organization founded by Gulen and his ideas that reached Uzbekistan? We will talk about this now.

Birth and the "Divine Mission"

Surprisingly, there is also some confusion regarding the date of birth of Fethullah Gulen. According to official information, Gulen was born on April 27, 1941 in the village of Koruchuk, Hasankala District, Erzurum Province, Turkey. His father Ramiz Bey was the imam of the mosque.

On his website, Gülen notes that he was born on November 10, 1938, the day Mustafa Kemal Atatürk died. Explaining this confusion, he says: "After my birth, my father went to Hasankala to register me, but the process was delayed because the official refused to write the name Fathullah."

According to him, in 1942, Gulen's father managed to register him and his son, who was born 2.5 years later, through acquaintances. However, a mistake was made in writing her and her brother's information in the certificate. As a result, Gulen's year of birth is indicated in the official document as 1942.

The birth controversy does not end there. In 1959, Gülen, who aspired to become the mufti of Edirne, was rejected because he was seventeen years old and did not complete military service. The future preacher, who applied to the court to become a civil servant, finally changes his date of birth to 1941. Gulen, who failed to become a mufti, was appointed imam of the "Uch Sherefeli" mosque.

In his autobiography "My Little World", he connects his birth with the day of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's death. He adds that he received Islamic education from a young age to create the image of a "chosen man", given a divine mission from birth, and that the development of his personality was influenced by the Ottoman civilization.

In particular, it can be read that he took Tajweed lessons from Haji Sitqi Effendi in Hasanqal and memorized the Qur'an at the age of 12. Gülen started his first experience by giving speeches in different villages of Erzurum. In 1955, in the month of Ramadan, the future preacher gave his first speech on the pulpit.

Fethullah Gülen's autobiography My Little World is important for a detailed study of his mission. The work covers his period from his youth to the foundation of the FETO organization.

Gülen, who tried to portray himself as an "Imam" and "Hajiafandi" who fulfills a divine duty, does not clearly state that his ancestors from his parents are Sayyids (probably descendants of the Prophet), but he hints at it.

Gulen's first coup attempt

Gülen, who served as imam in Edirne for 2.5 years, joins the army. Gülen served in the military in Ankara and Mamak, where he was present during the 1960 military coup. Gulen's memories of this coup led by Talat Aydemir are also very interesting. It reminds me of the attempted coup on July 15, 2016.

The activities of Gulen, who led other rebellions in the future, are also noteworthy; In his work, he writes that he was in close contact with the prosecutor and judges in Edirne, including the head of the regional security service. While it may seem unusual for him to achieve such a feat at the age of 20, Gulen was actually familiar with the security forces even before that. For example, Gülen, who left Erzurum for Edirne at the age of 17, stayed in Ankara for a while with "his father's close friend", deputy of Erzurum region, Mustafa Zeren. Mustafa Zeren helps him to pass the Religious Affairs Committee exams. In addition, Zeren informed his "friend's son" about the results of this exam before he even left Ankara. Gülen admitted in his work that he was acquainted with security officers, judges and prosecutors in Edirne at the age of 18.

It is noteworthy that he is also assigned to carry out intelligence missions as a radio operator in the army. With this, he will be able to listen to all conversations within the army. The skills Gülen gained during his military service will help him later in creating a terrorist organization.

Life after the Army: Stepping up to the Lighters

Gülen, who returned to Erzurum after the army and from there to Edirne, became famous for his sermons. Gulen taught students for the first time while serving as an honorary imam at the Dar-ul-Hadis mosque. After some time, signs of rebellion were found in his activities, and he was banned from preaching. Farid Kubat, the governor of Edirne region at that time, accused Gulen of illegal activities. Nevertheless, as Gülen says, "some hand" will take him out of all the conflicts unscathed.

Güler, who fled from Edirne to Kirklareli, this time starts preaching in local mosques. In the same period, Gülen became close with the followers of Said Nursi - "Nurchilar" sect. For information, the founder of this faction, "Badiuzzamon" Said Nursi (1878-1960), lived in exile and prison for about 25 years until the 1950s, because he opposed the Turkish Republic, which was established in its place after the end of the Ottoman Caliphate. During these years, he wrote his famous pamphlets "Nur".

In 1963-1966, Gülen became visible and respected among the conservative part of the population through his lectures in Edirne and Kirklareli mosques. However, no matter how close Gulen is to the "Nurchilar", he tries to spread his own modified ideas, not the teachings of this sect. Over time, this decision of Gülen will cause his relations with the "Jemoat of Light" to cool down. However, he does not enter into a serious conflict with the members of this faction.

The first home of fame and FETO

In March 1966, Gülen was appointed preacher of Kestane Pazari Mosque in Izmir against his will. Later, he laid the foundations of the terrorist organization FETO, which was an important event in his life, in this city.

After he was appointed as the central preacher of Izmir, he began to speak in the mosque every Friday. During the weekend, he held group discussions in nearby cities and districts such as Aydin, Odemish, Tire, Salihli, Denizli and Isparta.

During his tenure as an imam in Izmir, Gülen also interacted with people living an ultra-western lifestyle. It can be said that his work here revealed his ability to find a way to different segments. Due to this, Gülen soon gained popularity.

At first, Gülen traveled by public transport to give lectures in distant places, and after a short time, he managed to gather fans around him, and continued his programs with a caravan of four cars.

Gulen realizes that he cannot go far by buying land from different places and collecting money to build a building. After that, he developed a new strategy: he created the "Courage" structure that allowed his organization to grow rapidly.

Gulen decided that "you can collect more money by bringing people together and encouraging each other." This offer of "Imam" was unconditionally accepted by his assistants and the first charity meeting was held.

Omer Ongut, founder of Haqiqat Foundation, describes Gülen's fundraising methods and the structure he founded as follows:

"On the one hand, they are collecting loot saying that they are going to break the fast. On the one hand, they are plucking the feathers of the people like a goose. On the other hand, they waste money wantonly. This is also impure, and that is impure; Which of them corresponds to Islam? You invite people to dinner, collect money from people who come or buy bills. You know that you are a religious leader, but you do not fear God. You are not ashamed of the people."

After that, the first house of the terrorist organization was opened in Izmir in 1968 at the suggestion of mufti Ahmed Karakullukcu.

Fethullah Gulen's "long arm" extended to the Turkish government

In the meantime, Gulen forms a new team "Fathullahchilar". His tape-recorded speeches are distributed in many cities. Thus, on the one hand, it becomes possible to increase supporters, and on the other hand, to find a new source of income for the organization. Although this method aroused dissatisfaction in some circles, it served to join this team of well-known persons such as Kamal Erimez, Nuriddin Veren, Mustafa Birlik, Ilhan Ishbilen, Sahit Tuzju, Bekir Akgin, Mustafa Asutay.

Undoubtedly, the center that Gülen paid the most attention to was the Houses of Light. Houses made an incomparable contribution to attracting young people and scholars to the organization. According to the preacher, "these houses will become places where the seeds of the Golden Generation are planted."

Soon the organization became stronger, and the concept of "Fathullahism", which is the symbol of Gulen, came to the fore.

In this way, Gulen, who began to form an effective structure in the Izmir-Manisa-Balikesir region, started his financial support through local merchants and business owners. Ali Nail Erdem, one of the representatives of the "Adolat" party, was among those who gave him financial support. By 1972, the city of Izmir became the center of the organization that Gülen was building, and the "Akyazili Foundation" was established. Through the foundation, the organization tries to attract university students to the Houses of Light. In a short period of time, the foundation will be transformed into a center frequented by pupils and students, who will receive scholarships at the same time.

Thanks to various donations, the foundation and the organization begin to grow. At the moment, their main sources of income were the support of businessmen and the skins of sacrificial animals donated to the foundation. During this period, training courses will be opened under the "Akyazili Foundation". In a short time, these courses will be activated in other regions of Turkey. Under the auspices of "Good work", talented and knowledgeable schoolchildren are attracted to the houses. In this way, the selected youth will be transformed into the "golden generation" who will later serve the organization's goals.

Since 1972, "adaptation camps" were also organized for students and pupils. After that, Gülen begins to imagine a new social order that he can create through his organization. The implementation of this plan was directly related to the creation of a loyal generation.

Between 1980 and 1990, about 20-30 "Gulen schools" were opened in Turkey, and in the early 2000s, their number reached a thousand.

It is intended that students loyal to the ideas of "Fathullahlik" will later enter the government structures according to the collective plan. This part of the plan created by Gulen and his friends was successfully implemented.

The term "parallel state" used for FETO gives an idea of its scope: Gulen's followers could be seen everywhere: in state organizations, ministries, the army, the police and security services, the media, universities and educational institutions, banks, businesses large and small, in sports and art. Their arms were very long. The movement founded by Fethullah Gülen in the 1960s turned into a multi-billion dollar group by the 2000s. The group had its own schools, universities, hospitals, businesses and a bank.

Did Gulen take the Freemason's oath?

Fethullah Gülen's relationship with Freemasons began in 1969. The Masonic oath and award for meritorious services further strengthened this friendship. Between 1972 and 1976, invitations were sent to Fethullah Gulen from officials who accepted Freemasonry, such as Ilhom Madenoğli, Orhan Demiriz, Onnik Karakash and Huseyin Yavuz.

In 2015, Yeni Shafak published documents revealing previously unknown connections of Fethullah Gülen to the "parallel structure". In the invitation signed by "secretary Orhan Demiriz" dated April 21, 1974:

"Dear brother, Fethullah Gulen. I request you to attend our meeting with brotherly love and respect on Friday, May 10, 1974 at 7:00 p.m.,” it read.

In addition, in the document dated July 17, 1969, it is clear that Fethullah Gülen was awarded the "Memorial Service" medal by the Masonic Lodge. At the top of the document is the phrase "Search Muh: Lo:" and the number "116" is recorded.

"Turkish high schools" expelled from Uzbekistan

In 1989, the Soviet Union began to disintegrate, leaving Asia with a political vacuum as the bipolar world order collapsed. Especially after the emergence of independent Turkic states, a new order was created. It was at that time that Gulen ordered to start a new job abroad. Members of the organization, which previously started operating in Germany and the Netherlands, decided to implement their main foreign strategy in Central Asia. In 1989, the Gulenists launched an "attack" on Asia based on a new idea. Uzbeks know them as "Nurchilar". In the early 1990s, with the "fatwa" of Fethullah Gulen, Gulenists opened lyceums in our country.

Potential and talented students from all regions of the country were selected for educational institutions named " Turkish Lyceum". The teachers who teach English in these schools are US citizens who are US special services. Osman Nuri Gündeş, a former employee of Turkish intelligence, said in one of his speeches that in the 90s, the main office of the "Nurchilar" movement was located in the US state of Pennsylvania.

According to the data, more than three thousand teachers working in educational institutions in more than 50 countries of the world were given a monthly salary from 400 to 1400 dollars. A total of 1 billion 205 million US dollars was spent on the opening of educational institutions in foreign countries. The government, which determined their purpose in time, put an end to the activities of such lyceums in the 2000s. Thus, Uzbekistan became the first country in the world to close educational institutions of Gulenists.

In addition, Uzbek students sent to study in Turkey will be recalled.

Gülen's escape to America

On April 21, 1999, following the report "Fathullah Gulen and the Light Movement" by Jevdet Saral and Usman Ak, the first criminal case was opened against Gulen and the organization he founded. Gülen, who previously went to the USA saying that he wanted to be treated because of his ill health, will not return. Later, Gulen revealed that the then deputy prime minister, Bulent Ejevit, advised him to go to the United States.

Even after moving to the USA, Gülen continued his speeches. These performances began to be published in the Broken Test section of his website. At the same time, he fought for a long time between 1999 and 2008 to get permission to live in the United States. After Gulen's various visa applications were denied, he finally applied for a permanent employment visa, known as the I-140, in November 2006.

In order to obtain this visa, the applicant must have "very strong ability". Therefore, to support the visa request, he will send about 30 references to the court.

A review of the June 4, 2008 petition shows that among the prominent people who recommended it were not only CIA officers, but also American scientists and prominent defenders of Christianity.

Among those names was George Fidesz, a former director of the CIA who later retired. On the list we can see Morton Abramovich, another former CIA officer, former ambassador to Ankara, and Graham Fuller, who was promoted to the top position as a member of the US National Intelligence Council. In their letters, they highly appreciated the achievements of the schools in this institution and the activities of Fathullah in interreligious dialogue.

On July 16, 2008, Gülen won a fight with the Department of Homeland Security and obtained a Green Card, which gives him the right to live in the United States. The contribution of Fuller and Abramovich, who served in important US agencies, was incomparable.

Despite the fact that Fethullah Gulen moved to the United States, Until July 15, 2016, FETO's position in Turkey remained strong. Gulen lived in Pennsylvania until the end of his life. Many of Gulen's followers also fled the United States after the coup attempt. For example, former football player and MP Hakan Shukur settled in America and started his own business across the ocean.

The night of July 15, 2016 was the longest and darkest night for Turks. FETO members, who have infiltrated all state administration bodies, law-order and force-use systems in the country, especially the armed forces, would like to overthrow the legitimate government elected by the people and seize power under the guidance of external malicious forces. Their plan failed and the rebellion was put down within 22 hours.

So how did the July 15 coup attempt begin? What happened on that dark night?

Late on July 15, 2016, paranormal activity began.

At 9:30 p.m., gunshots were heard from the headquarters of the General Staff. F -16 fighter jets began to fly low in the sky of Ankara. What was happening did not look like a military exercise or an action against an external enemy. The "Fathullahists" from the army, which is supposed to protect the country from evil forces, have officially started a war against their own people. Shortly after that, the Chief of General Staff and commanders of the military forces were taken hostage.

Traitors appeared not only in Ankara, but also in Istanbul. The Bosphorus and Fatih, Sultan Mehmet bridges were closed to traffic.

FETO members started working. The first explosion was heard at 11:20 p.m. in the Golboshi district of Ankara. The insurgents attacked the police who could oppose them.

A little later, in the early hours of July 16, they targeted another important facility. A military helicopter shot down the National Intelligence Agency.

Meanwhile, a group of uniformed rebels were in the corridors of the Turkish Television and Radio Company (TRT). They took the employees hostage and blocked all roads leading to the facility.

At this time, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was in Marmasir with his family, and from there he joined the live broadcast at 00:24. The attention of millions of people was focused on him.

"I call our people to the squares of our cities. I call them to the airports, let people gather in the airports, squares. Let those rebel groups come with their tanks and artillery, people know what to do there," the president said in a live broadcast speech.

This speech changed the dynamics of the coup attempt. People rushed to the streets and squares. The people stood up to the rebels fearlessly and lay down under the tanks to stop them. The Gulenists started shooting civilians and unarmed people. Thus, the struggle of the people who filled the squares against the traitors began.

This fight continued until morning. The determination of the people played a big role in the failure of the coup attempt. The uprising was suppressed, but there were casualties. Gulen and his Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ in Turkish) were blamed for this failed attempt. After the attempted coup d'état, an operation to clear the state bodies of "fetoists" was launched immediately. Thousands of employees found to be involved in FETO were fired.

It is worth mentioning that the Turkish government has been asking the US for years to hand Gulen over to Turkey, but Washington has not taken any concrete steps in this regard.

The conclusion is in place

Looking back on world history, after the Cold War, the Jewish lobby, which captured the United States in every way, grew stronger. They began to consider Islam and Muslims as a major threat to the existing global system. In particular, in Turkey, which is considered the center of the overthrown Ottoman Caliphate, various tricks and mischiefs were made to restrict religion and prevent Muslims from awakening.

In addition, the war against Islam has been defined as the main strategy of NATO and other international organizations under the name of "war on terrorism".

At the same time, the global system declared Islam as the biggest threat under the name of "ignorance". Through this, an attempt was made to suppress the Islamic identity, which is the reason for the existence of the Muslim society, which allows it to create history, and to dry up its spiritual roots. As an alternative to true Islam, strengthening ethnic identities, sowing the seeds of discord among Muslims, and turning their land into a hotbed of war, looting and ownership of the natural resources of this land continues to this day.

In the same way, we can see the terrorist organization FETO, which operated not only in Turkey, but also internationally, as a US project to protest Islam. Through such ways, the enemies of Islam tried to invent a "chuchmal" Islam, which does not contradict the global system, is removed from real life, reduced to the level of individual faith, deprived of the possibility of resistance.

One of the results of this insidious project is to rule the lands of Islam, to create governments and nations that do not even sympathize when their neighboring Muslims are massacred, but instead help their enemies in the slaughter of their brothers.