As the days and weeks unfolded it became abundantly clear that the U.S.-based Fethullah Gulen, the leader of the Fethullah Terrorist Organisation (FETÖ), was the mastermind behind Turkey’s deadliest coup.
On July 15, 2016 a secret rogue section of the Turkish military launched an operation to overthrow Turkey’s democratically-elected government. The attempted coup was ultimately foiled by the resolute stance of Turkey’s elected government, officials and by the power of ordinary citizens who took to the streets in the hundreds of thousands in an act of mass resistance against the attempted takeover. As the days and weeks unfolded it became abundantly clear that the U.S.-based Fethullah Gulen, the leader of the Fethullah Terrorist Organisation (FETÖ), was the mastermind behind Turkey’s deadliest coup.
Turkey has been critical of its NATO allies for not condemning the coup in strong enough terms, instead choosing to focus on Ankara’s crackdown on suspected coup supporters. Moreover, FETÖ-affiliated organizations still operate in countries which are Turkey’s NATO allies.
In addition to its base in Europe and North America, FETÖ currently operates in 42 of the 57 countries within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and runs over 2000 schools globally. Its main selling points in the international arena include its emphasis on education, Turkish culture and “moderate Islam”. While some FETÖ institutions in Africa, Turkic and Balkan countries have been shut down following the coup attempt, Turkey’s Western partners have not acted in a similar vein.
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