It is being conjectured that the failed coup in Turkey was orchestrated by Fethullah Gulen of the Hizmet movement. The US-based cleric who lives in the Poconus mountains of rural Pennsylvania has occupied center stage in Turkish politics for years. It is believed that his followers, called Gulenists, have been infesting Turkey’s institutions like the judiciary, armed forces, police, bureaucracy and running a sort of parallel government in the country of 80 million.
Gulen who fled Turkey in 1999 for the US and his Hizmet movement command a loyalty that is cult-like. That he can become a bête noire of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from thousands of miles away and inspire a movement that gives an elected government the jitters, shows how deeply-entrenched the cleric’s influence is.
Resentment against Erdogan started with the Gezi Park movement which began in Istanbul. The government wanted to develop the park into a shopping mall. The patch of greenery in the heart of Istanbul had been a favourite hangout of youngsters and families alike. The youth started protesting vehemently against the plan to build the mall. The administration responded with brute force. Regular clashes between police and protesters triggered comparisons with the Arab Spring. It was then that Gulen’s name gained currency with some saying that the Gezi Park protests were being controlled by him from the United States.
The nature of Hizmet as a spiritual organisation was never in doubt. It propagates a faith that is closer to Sufism. However, with members widely spread out in the government, and with its activities frequently stepping on the administration’s toes, it is broadly acquiring dimensions of a non-state actor. Its purported role in the coup against the Erdogan government adds strength to the argument that Gulenists are now members of an organization that is linked to something more than spirituality. Turkey has declared it a terrorist organisation.
Non-state actors in the Middle East are not a new phenomenon. From Hezbollah in Lebanon to the Mehdi Army in Iraq — these organisations have straddled the unstable politics of the region in a rather disruptive way. The Gulenists seem to be doing the same.
Unstable national governments which are not truly democratic have been a major factor behind the proliferation of non-state actors in the Middle East. However, it is not the case in Turkey which has a relatively strong democracy and a stable government. Gulenists have been able to spread their influence in the Turkish administration despite odds that do not impede the activities of other non-state actors. In this way, Hizmet has been an exception.
It is being conjectured that the failed coup in Turkey was orchestrated by Fethullah Gulen of the Hizmet movement. The US-based cleric who lives in the Poconus mountains of rural Pennsylvania has occupied center stage in Turkish politics for years. It is believed that his followers, called Gulenists, have been infesting Turkey’s institutions like the judiciary, armed forces, police, bureaucracy and running a sort of parallel government in the country of 80 million.
Gulen who fled Turkey in 1999 for the US and his Hizmet movement command a loyalty that is cult-like. That he can become a bête noire of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from thousands of miles away and inspire a movement that gives an elected government the jitters, shows how deeply-entrenched the cleric’s influence is.
Resentment against Erdogan started with the Gezi Park movement which began in Istanbul. The government wanted to develop the park into a shopping mall. The patch of greenery in the heart of Istanbul had been a favourite hangout of youngsters and families alike. The youth started protesting vehemently against the plan to build the mall. The administration responded with brute force. Regular clashes between police and protesters triggered comparisons with the Arab Spring. It was then that Gulen’s name gained currency with some saying that the Gezi Park protests were being controlled by him from the United States.
The nature of Hizmet as a spiritual organisation was never in doubt. It propagates a faith that is closer to Sufism. However, with members widely spread out in the government, and with its activities frequently stepping on the administration’s toes, it is broadly acquiring dimensions of a non-state actor. Its purported role in the coup against the Erdogan government adds strength to the argument that Gulenists are now members of an organization that is linked to something more than spirituality. Turkey has declared it a terrorist organisation.
Non-state actors in the Middle East are not a new phenomenon. From Hezbollah in Lebanon to the Mehdi Army in Iraq — these organisations have straddled the unstable politics of the region in a rather disruptive way. The Gulenists seem to be doing the same.
Unstable national governments which are not truly democratic have been a major factor behind the proliferation of non-state actors in the Middle East. However, it is not the case in Turkey which has a relatively strong democracy and a stable government. Gulenists have been able to spread their influence in the Turkish administration despite odds that do not impede the activities of other non-state actors. In this way, Hizmet has been an exception.
