Turkish Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, a one-time ally and then bitter rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who was blamed for a failed coup attempt in 2016, has died at the age of 83, Turkish officials and media outlets linked to the cleric’s movement said.
Gulen, who lived in the United States, was reported Monday by the Herkul Nagme news outlet affiliated with him. “Our religious leader Fethullah Gulen, who dedicated his life to Islam and serving humanity, has reached the pinnacle of his spirit,” the X outlet said, adding that he had been undergoing treatment in hospital for some time.
Turkish state broadcaster TRT announced his death Monday, calling him “a traitor, an enemy of religion, and a terrorist who plotted against the country his entire life.”
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