The U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who built a powerful Islamic movement in Turkey and beyond but spent his later years mired in accusations of orchestrating an attempted coup against Turkish leader Reccep Tayyip Erdogan, has died. Since the failed coup, his movement has been systematically dismantled in Turkey and its influence has declined internationally. Soon after the 2016 coup, Erdogan described Gulen’s network as traitors and “like a cancer”, vowing to root them out wherever they are. The Turkish government said its actions were justified by the gravity of the threat posed to the state by the coup. Gulen had travelled to the United States for medical treatment but remained there as he faced a criminal investigation in Turkey.

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Persons: Fethullah Gulen, Reccep Tayyip Erdogan, Gulen, Erdogan, ”, Erdogan’s Organizations: U.S, AK Party, Prosecutors, Gulen, Reuters Locations: Turkey, U.S, United States, Turkish, Erzurum, Edirne, Izmir, Turkey’s, Central Asia, Balkans, Africa, Gulen, Ankara, Pocono