When asked about the current coup, Gulen denies involvement and goes so far as to say that involvement would be an act of treason. Is this credible?
In May 1971, Gulen was arrested in an attempted coup aimed at turning Turkey into an Islamist state. A warrant was issued against him in the 1980 coup attempt. His friend Prime Minister Ozal later had the warrant canceled. - CAPITAL AND CAPITALISTS IN TURKEY Gulen sect: Reached for the state, got capital instead , Ayse Cavar
On American Soil
Bayram BalcÄ ± explained, "The aim of the cemaat (community) is to educate and influence future national elites, who will speak English and Turkish and who will one day prove their good intentions towards Fethullahists and towards Turkey. Several countries in the region have taken steps against Gulen's educational institutions because of such suspicions."- Fethullah Gulen's Grand Ambition Turkey's Islamist Danger by Rachel Sharon-Krespin Middle East Quarterly Winter 2009, pp. 55-66
Turkic-Americans today make up a tiny voting bloc with a population of only 350,000. Gulen's presence has made up for this by creating thousands of Turkic-American culture groups and Turkic-American diaspora umbrella groups have a combined group portfolio worth around $35 billion. Gulen has a net worth reported to around $3 billion. In just Texas, there are over 1200 business that support him and his work.
"The organization lacks any official hierarchy or structure, but followers have built up a network of think tanks, schools, and publications in locations around the world--including in Texas. The TUSKON business confederation, which has 120,000 businesses under its umbrella, has strong ties to the Gulen movement and provides financial support..."It is clear they want influence and power," a senior U.S. official told the New YorkTimes in 2012. "We are concerned there is a hidden agenda to challenge secular Turkey and guide the country in a more Islamic direction." Time Justin Worland July 15, 2016
One of his groups, the Turkic-American Alliance claims to be the umbrella that represents all Turkic emigre concerns to US government. This umbrella is associated with other Gulen groups that make close to the same claim and others that represent Turkish emigres regionally.
The obvious danger to this diplomatically is that the US has strong relations with the country Gulen's group is seeking to overthrow. Gulen has made numerous and major inroads through lobbying, campaign support, and Congressional junkets to Turkey. For the House and the Senate, Turkey is now only behind Israel as the #1 tourist stop for Congress.
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