In Turkey, Gulen’s death marks opportunity to move on from coup attempt

Istanbul, Turkey – The quality that Fethullah Gulen, wide believed successful Turkey to beryllium the mastermind down the country’s 2016 coup attempt, had died had not yet reached Omer, a taxi operator heading towards Istanbul’s Fatih district.

When helium heard, Omer was shocked. “It yet happened,” helium exclaimed, turning up the radio.

As connection of Gulen’s death successful the United States dispersed connected a crisp autumn day, bystanders began gathering extracurricular the Istanbul municipality gathering successful Fatih – 1 of the epicentres of the unit during the coup attempt, a nighttime wide regarded arsenic a turning constituent successful modern Turkish history.

They gathered adjacent the Sarachane memorial, which honours the anti-coup protesters of July 15, 2016.

The memorial includes a depiction of protesters performing ablution – a ritual purification for Muslims – astatine a adjacent fountain earlier confronting soldiers and tanks successful effect to a telephone by Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

At slightest 251 radical were killed, and much than 2,200 injured, but the coup was quashed wrong hours.

The blasted was instantly enactment connected Gulen, a Muslim preacher who formed and led a question that went from being an state of Erdogan’s to a foe, and perceived to beryllium operating a “parallel state”. His followers successful the equipped forces were believed by the authorities to beryllium down the coup – a constituent of presumption wide shared successful Turkey by authorities supporters and the opposition.

Fethullah Gulen lived successful exile successful the United States. Washington refused to extradite him to Turkey, contempt repeated attempts by the Turkish authorities [File: Chris Post/AP Photo]

Memories of the coup

Gulen went from being a preacher successful occidental Turkey to the laminitis of an expansive question that ran schools, charities and media organisations. In 1999 helium near for the US and exile, but helium enjoyed a affable narration with Erdogan successful the 2000s.

That did not last, arsenic the authorities became much wary of what it considered to beryllium the menace from Gulen’s “parallel state” networks, yet culminating successful the coup attempt, and the crackdown connected Gulen’s supporters successful the years that followed.

Not acold from the Fatih municipality headquarters, astatine Eski Kafa, 1 of the district’s galore tiny java shops, respective young men enjoying their day Turkish java were already discussing Gulen’s death.

“I’m satisfied due to the fact that I judge Gulen is liable for the deaths of hundreds of guiltless people. So, successful a way, there’s immoderate consciousness of relief,” said Ibrahim Kibar, a 29-year-old lawyer.

“The 2nd crushed I’m satisfied is that his decease mightiness pb to immoderate normalisation successful Turkey regarding governmental issues. The coup affected our institutions, the Constitution, and the regularisation of law. It changed the mode Turkey operates.”

The attempted coup near a heavy people connected Fatih, Istanbul’s historical district, wherever astir person a communicative astir wherever they were that night.

A memorial for each those killed stands astatine the centre of Fatih with photos of the dead, a marker for galore of the archetypal Turkish coup that mean citizens were capable to prevent.

Several spiritual orders, concentrated successful Fatih and Uskudar, were among the archetypal to organise absorption to the 2016 coup, according to a survey conducted soon afterwards.

“I was successful Fatih that night,” Kibar recalled. “After the coup attempt, I went to Vatan Street, successful beforehand of the Istanbul constabulary headquarters. There were 2 tanks, but they were inactive. Thousands of radical had gathered extracurricular the constabulary station.”

Ahmet Faruk Yilmaz says helium wanted Fethullah Gulen to look proceedings successful Turkey [Elis Gjevori/Al Jazeera]

Gulen organisation’s future

Ahmet Faruk Yilmaz, a 29-year-old creator sipping his Turkish tea, hopes Gulen’s decease volition people the illness of his organisation.

“I don’t cognize if his decease volition person a nonstop interaction connected Turkey, but it mightiness hasten the dissolution of his cult, which would payment the country.”

After the attempted coup, galore Gulen supporters fled to Europe and the US, wherever the radical is inactive headquartered. Thousands of others were arrested successful a crackdown that had enactment wrong Turkey, but has been criticised overseas and by quality rights organisations.

“It’s existent that immoderate Gulenists inactive person power successful Turkey, but their powerfulness has greatly diminished since the attempted coup,” Yilmaz noted.

Smoking his shisha successful 1 manus and holding Turkish beverage successful the other, Muhammet Ali added that the US should person extradited Gulen to Turkey.

Gulen’s extradition had been repeatedly sought by the Turkish authorities since the coup, creating friction betwixt the 2 allies. The US had refused to extradite Gulen for his links to the coup, citing a deficiency of evidence.

“I would person wanted him brought to Turkey to basal proceedings earlier his death. Gulen exploited Turkey’s resources, energy, and opportunities for overseas agendas,” said Ali.

“He caused fractures successful the Turkish governmental strategy that volition beryllium hard to repair, and the coup worsened governmental polarisation.”

However, Ali noted that Gulen’s decease could weaken his organisation and its power connected Turkish society.

“More abstraction volition unfastened up for Turkey abroad, and 1 large contented successful relations with the US volition beryllium resolved.”

Muhammed Enes believes astir Turks are agreed against Fethullah Gulen and the Gulen question [Elis Gjevori/Al Jazeera]

After Gulen

In different beverage location adjacent called Lena, an world from Istanbul University who wished to stay anonymous shared his thoughts. “A bulk of Turks observe this event, arsenic Gulen is known to person orchestrated a coup.”

“Of course, the coup created a traumatic acquisition for galore people, particularly those of our procreation calved successful the 1990s. As idiosyncratic calved and raised successful the countryside, I could spot however almighty Gulen’s organisation was,” said the young academic.

For galore young Turks, coups were events their parents had experienced. While determination were attempts to unopen down the ruling AK Party successful 2008, galore believed that coups were a happening of the past.

“After Gulen, I’d similar to deliberation Turks volition beryllium much vigilant against specified figures, but I don’t deliberation we’ve afloat learned the lesson,” said the academic.

Muhammed Enes, sitting with his friend, noted that Gulen’s decease is 1 of the uncommon moments successful modern Turkish authorities wherever astir radical find communal ground.

“Gulen’s decease is long-awaited bully quality for Turkish society. There were ever rumours of his death, but this time, it’s real. Turks crossed society, from secularists to conservatives, but for Gulenists, are happy,” said Enes.

While Gulen’s power connected Turkish authorities has faded, partially owed to a authorities crackdown that seized galore of his assets, Enes believes that Gulen’s passing whitethorn besides impact the group’s interior workings.

“For the cult itself, particularly members abroad, determination volition astir apt beryllium disorder implicit who volition instrumentality the mantle, starring to intra-group powerfulness struggles that volition weaken the organisation,” helium said.

“It besides depends connected the American government’s determination – whether they proceed to enactment and support the radical oregon region themselves from it present that its laminitis is dead.”