One of the frequently discussed issues in contemporary Turkey is the political influence of “The Gulen Movement,” or the religious network inspired by the teachings of Fethullah Gulen, Turkish Muslim scholar and preacher who has been living in Pennsylvania since 1998. While speculation about the movement includes far-fetched conspiracy theories — such as that Gulen is a “CIA agent” or “crypto Christian” — almost all observers agree that the movement needs to be taken as a serious political force in Turkish affairs.
More recently, many have wondered where exactly the movement stands with regard to a key issue in Turkish politics: The “peace process” between the state and the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, an armed and outlawed group considered as a terrorist organization by not only the Turkish government but also most of its Western allies. The AKP (Justice and Development Party) government that initiated this controversial process with the PKK’s jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan, is in need of political and moral support, and whether it gets this from the Gulen Movement, in addition to the AKP’s loyal conservative supporters and peacenik liberals, is really important.