Erdogan and Gülen: From friend to enemy

Over 130 000 fired on shaky grounds. About the same number arrested.

the Clear-out was enormous when president Erdogan swiftly blamed the so-called Gülenrörelsen for the coup attempt in 2016.

who was behind the coup attempt is difficult to say than in the day. Every now and then is arrested amounts by, among others, military officers with alleged ties to the Turkey looks like kuppledare: the preacher Fethullah Gülen.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan became the animoto highly personal; the president of the republic said to be close to itself fall victim to the business.

Turkey calls Gülen extradited by the united states, where he lives since 1999. But the united states wants to see more evidence.

– the Turks have sent numerous documents to the united states, but no concrete evidence, " says Jenny White, a professor at the Institute for Turkietstudier at Stockholm university.

– It does not mean that he was not involved. On the other hand, it could have been anyone with a motive.

Erdogan and Gülen is usually described as moderate islamists. They were former allies and built up a power base inside the government who challenged the then-military and anti-religious rule. Gülenister gained positions within the military, the judiciary, the police and the media. Gülenisterna also built up a social and religious movement with schools in Turkey and around the world, including Sweden.

in 1999 showed a movie up where the Gülen urges followers to secretly work within the system \\

2013 ended up Erdogan's party AKP and Gülenrörelsen on a collision course. Schools were banned, the media was stopped and a large bank were confiscated. But after the coup attempt in 2016, there was a veritable witch-hunt on gülenister, believe critics.

Gülen and his supporters have dismissed all the accusations. Movement claim not to be political. Gülen, terroristanklagad of Turkey, has also openly distanced themselves from terrorism.

"They are looking for power and money, but it is not per definition a terrorist organization," says White.