By Ismet Özçelik
The head of the Fethullah Gülen Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), Fethullah Gülen, has died. He had been suffering from dementia, organ failure and several other health issues for a long time.
The failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016, threw him off balance. He believed that he would govern Türkiye but ended in a fiasco.
“The organization controls significant financial resources. It has reached substantial power. Its leader is old and ill. Who will take control of this wealth and power is crucial. I believe those in the US who are involved with this organization have already put this issue on their agenda.”
These words were spoken by a former Pentagon advisor 8–9 years ago in Ankara. The US is basically saying, “We’re not letting FETÖ go of”.
Who will replace Fethullah Gülen? The infighting began when Gülen’s health deteriorated. In Pennsylvania, those closest to him started giving instructions in his name. Events over the past year, moving Gülen to a separate residence, restricting access to him, and physical fights all indicate the severity of the infighting.
The organization’s financial sources are dwindling. It lost in big numbers in Türkiye, and things are not going well in Asia and African countries either.
FETÖ’s team operates under the CIA. There is also the European wing. These are mostly fugitives from Türkiye. The majority is in Germany and under the protection of the German government. It is known that Germany’s intelligence agency, the BND, is involved. The African branch of the organization aligns more with the European wing than the American one.
Fethullah Gülen…
In the beginning of the Cold War, the US identified Türkiye as a “key country”. Following Türkiye’s participation in NATO, the Gladio started to establish itself both inside and outside the state. One such group was the Association for Fighting Communism, and Fethullah Gülen was one of its founders in the city of Erzurum. From that point on, he kept gaining more and more power.
During the dissolution of the Soviet Union, with the “Green Belt” project, the CIA assigned FETÖ an active role.
Then, during the dissolution of Yugoslavia, FETÖ established itself in the Balkans.
When the US-China competition began in Africa, FETÖ appeared there.
During Iraq’s partition, FETÖ was stationed in Northern Iraq.
In short, the US and CIA always held its strings. Wherever the US directed, they operated there.
FETÖ is a child of the CIA. Or, in other words, of NATO.