Fethullah Gulen, the Turkish Muslim cleric accused by Ankara of masterminding the failed 2016 coup attempt, has died at the age of 83 in the United States, according to Turkish media and a website associated with Gulen.
Herkul, a website that publishes Gulen’s sermons, confirmed his death on Sunday, October 20, while he was being treated in a hospital.
Gulen, once a powerful Islamic figure in Turkey and a former ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, became a bitter adversary of Erdogan after their relationship soured. Erdogan accused Gulen of being behind the 2016 coup attempt, during which rogue soldiers used warplanes, tanks, and helicopters in a failed effort to overthrow the government.
Since 1999, Gulen had lived in self-imposed exile in the U.S., where he continued to lead the influential Gulen movement from abroad.
