Fethullah Gülen, the influential Islamic spiritual leader accused by Turkey of orchestrating a failed coup in 2016, passed away at 83 on October 20, 2024. His death was confirmed by Herkul, a platform that shares his sermons, which noted that further details would be released by his doctors. Gülen had been undergoing medical treatment for a period of time prior to his passing.

Gülen, born in 1941 in Erzurum, Turkey, rose to prominence as a mosque scholar and preacher in the 1960s. He built a vast network of educational institutions, media, and businesses in Turkey and internationally, including Central Asia, the Balkans, and Africa. Once a supporter of Turkish President Erdogan, Gülen became a target after a corruption scandal in 2013, leading to the Turkish government labeling his movement, Hizmet, a terrorist organization.

Tensions culminated in 2016 when Erdogan accused Gülen of masterminding a coup attempt. In response, the Turkish government launched a large-scale crackdown, prosecuting hundreds of thousands of individuals and sentencing many of Gülen’s followers to life in prison. Gülen, who had relocated to the U.S. for medical reasons, remained there amidst Turkey's repeated efforts to extradite him.