Who is Fethullah Gulen, and why is the leader of Turkey on a rampage to arrest him and tens of thousands of his followers?
Gulen, now 75, is a Turkish citizen, an Islamic cleric, and a long-time rival of Turkish President Recip Erdogan. He is currently living in exile in Pennsylvania.
Erdogan says Gulen is the
"mastermind" behind last Friday's coup attempt. He is
demanding the U.S. government extradite Gulen back to Turkey immediately.
Gulen strongly opposes Erdogan, but denies any involvement in last week's violence and political intrigue.
Gulen "went into self-imposed exile when he moved from Turkey to the United States in 1999 and settled in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania,"
reports CNN.
Was Gulen truly the man behind the plot to bring Erdogan down? That remains to be seen. But it is an interesting question.
Unable -- so far -- to persuade the Obama administration to arrest and deport Gulen, Erdogan and his regime are conducting a massive purge of Turkish society.
In less than a week, they have has arrested, fired or suspended nearly
60,000 citizens this week for being part of what Erdogan calls a "cancer virus" of opposition to his rule that he says must be eradicated,
reports Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Many are believed by the government of being Gulenists in highly influential positions, though Erdogan appears to be purging almost anyone who has expressed dissent against him, even if they are not part of the Hizmet movement.
Erdogan has also just "announced a three-month state of emergency starting July 21 to augment the government's power to avenge last week's bloody coup attempt," noted RFE/RL. This gives him even more draconian power to crackdown on political, religious, military, academic and media opponents.
- 21,000 teachers
- 15,200 Education Ministry officials
- 8,000 police officers
- 7,500 soldiers
- 3,000 members of the judiciary
- 1,577 university deans
- 492 Muslim preachers and scholars
- 1/3 of the 360 active generals serving in the Turkish military
Please keep praying for the people of Turkey as they undergo this authoritarian nightmare. Please pray for the Christians in Turkey to be lights in the darkness, and that they would have the courage to boldly proclaim the Gospel and make disciples despite the sweeping crackdown by an Islamist dictator.
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Thanks for sharing. Blessings on your head from the Lord Jesus, Yeshua HaMashiach.
Steve Martin
Founder
Love For His People
Charlotte, NC USA