LEST: New York Times forsøker å tegne en profil av Fettulah Gülen, den skye, karismatiske lederen av en bevegelse som bærer hans navn.
Gülen bor i Pennsylvania, men utøver en sterk innvirkning på tyrkisk politikk. Det sies at hans medlemmer står særlig sterkt i politi og etterretningsvesen og at de bruker statens organer til å fremme sine interesser. Hensynsløst. Det er risikabelt å legge seg ut med bevegelsen.
But the movement’s stealthy expansion of power — as well as its tactics and lack of transparency — is now drawing accusations that Mr. Gulen’s supporters are using their influence in Turkey’s courts and police and intelligence services to engage in witch hunts against opponents with the aim of creating a more conservative Islamic Turkey. Critics say the agenda is threatening the government’s democratic credentials just as Turkey steps forward as a regional power.
“We are troubled by the secretive nature of the Gulen movement, all the smoke and mirrors,” said a senior American official, who requested anonymity to avoid breaching diplomatic protocol. “It is clear they want influence and power. We are concerned there is a hidden agenda to challenge secular Turkey and guide the country in a more Islamic direction.”
