There are many “suitors” of the late imam Fethullah Gülen, who claim not only his job but also the money he left in his piggy bank, which amounted to millions of euros.
The number 1 enemy of the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, had built an entire empire abroad. But his base was in the USA.
At the same time, the powerful man of the Bosphorus is interested, as Bild newspaper writes, after the death of the 83-year-old charismatic preacher, who will be the successor of his once close friend, but mainly on the money. is in his chest.
The exiled guru of the Gülen movement, he had lived in the US since 1999 and died in a hospital in Pennsylvania. It was in the US that he made a huge fortune because his movement had a great influence abroad.
The greatest enemy of the Turkish government was the energetic Turkish preacher. As a punishment, the Erdogan government has already confiscated some of its assets, writes the German newspaper.
In 2017, Erdogan did not hesitate to publicly admit that he took the amount of ten billion euros from the piggy bank of the Gülen movement, but it seems that the money that his close friend previously had in his coffers is much more more!
“The financial resources are huge. In the United States alone, it is estimated that between 200 and 250 million dollars will come from private schools funded by the American state every year,” said Turkish journalist Hade Firat, who works for Hürriyet newspaper. The Gülen movement also owns many properties and businesses.
Like his ardent supporters, Gülen spent years building a global network of charities, professional associations, companies and schools in more than 100 countries around the world.
It is noted that there are about 150 Gulen educational institutions (private schools funded by American taxpayers).
Some of this money is supposed to flow to the Gülen movement through teachers’ salaries. And this money is exactly what many require.
“There has been a power struggle for a long time. It remains to be seen where this power struggle will lead and whether the organization will fall apart,” said Firat.
Erdogan blamed Gulen for the failed coup attempt against him in July 2016, expelled his supporters from Turkey and arrested thousands of them and labeled FETO as a terrorist organization.
According to Firat, Gülen’s health – he was very ill before his death – had recently deteriorated due to internal strife within his movement, much of which had to do with who would get the money.
Who are the most likely successors to the Gülen Empire?
Since there is disagreement over who will manage his assets and who will be his successor, Gülen’s movement is now divided into different parts.
According to reports in the Turkish media, various Gülen mystics are taking sides, who seek to be in power mainly because of money.
At the forefront of the race for Gülen’s legacy is Ebuseleme, the son of Mesih Gülen, Gülen’s younger brother.
In addition, Cevdet Tirkiolou, who is considered one of Gülen’s closest confidants and is also referred to as his “right-hand man”, comments on the German publication.
Asimina Angelini
22.10.2024, 12:13