Photo: VOA / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Fethullah Gulen is the most consequential and controversial figure in this batch by a wide margin. A Turkish preacher and scholar who built a global movement spanning millions of followers and thousands of schools, he is impossible to discuss neutrally given his central role in Turkey's political fractures. I am careful here, because his legacy splits sharply depending on who you ask, from inspirational educator to accused conspirator. What I can say plainly is the scale: a network across more than 150 countries is extraordinary reach for one man. He died in 2024, but the arguments over what he built are nowhere near settled.
Overview
Muhammed Fethullah Gülen (27 April 1941 – 20 October 2024) was a Turkish Muslim scholar, preacher, and leader of the Gülen movement, which as of 2010 had 8-10 million of followers globally and had established a network of over 2,000 STEM focused schools in more than 150 countries.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Fethullah Gülen
- Name (Japanese)
- フェトフッラー・ギュレン
- Reading
- ふぇとふっらー・ぎゅれん
- Born
- April 27, 1941 – October 20, 2024
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Taurus / Snake
- Origin
- Pasinler district, Erzurum Province, Turkey
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- social activist / writer / preacher / intellectual / opinion journalist
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | The Essentials of the Islamic Faith | — |
6. Links
Writer — see all → · More people from Turkey →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.