Gulen Movement

• It is an Islamic transnational religious and social movement led by Turkish preacher Fethullah Gulen, who has lived in the United States since 1999.

• The movement has attracted supporters and critics in Turkey, Central Asia, and other parts of the world.

• It is active in education with private schools and universities in over 180 countries as well as many American charter schools operated by followers.

• Despite its teachings that are considered conservative even in Turkey, some have praised the movement as a pacifist, modern-oriented version of Islam, and as an alternative to more extreme schools of Islam such as Salafism.

• The Gulen movement is a former ally of the Turkish Justice and Development Party (AKP). When the AKP came to power in 2002 the two formed, despite their differences, a tactical alliance against military tutelage and the secular elite.

• It was through this alliance that the AKP had accomplished an unprecedented feat in Turkish republican history by securing national electoral victories sufficient to form three consecutive majority governments in 2002, 2007, and 2011.

• The Gulen movement gained influence on the Turkish police force and the judiciary during its alliance with conservative President Erdogan, which saw hundreds of Gulen supporters appointed to positions within the Turkish government.

• Once the old establishment was defeated around 2010 to 2011 disagreements emerged between the AKP and the Gulen movement.

• Since 11 December 2015 the Gulen movement is classified as a terrorist organization in Turkey.

• After the failed coup attempt in 2016, the government of Turkey blamed the group for the coup and authorities have arrested thousands of soldiers and judges.

• Over ten thousand education staff were suspended and the licenses of over 20,000 teachers working at private institutions were revoked for alleged affiliation to Gulen.

• Fethullah Gulen strongly condemned the coup, and rejected claims of his involvement.