What Happened to Hizmet Movement?
The Hizmet Movement, also known as the Gülen Movement, is a transnational civil society initiative inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, focusing on education, interfaith dialogue, and community service. Once an ally of Turkey's ruling AKP, it has been designated a terrorist organization (FETÖ) by the Turkish government since 2016, following accusations of orchestrating a failed coup attempt, leading to a widespread crackdown and persecution both domestically and internationally. Despite the death of its founder Fethullah Gülen in October 2024, the movement continues its activities globally while facing ongoing legal and political pressure from Turkey.
Quick Answer
The Hizmet Movement, also known as the Gülen Movement, has faced severe persecution from the Turkish government since 2016, which designated it as a terrorist organization (FETÖ) and accused it of masterminding a failed coup attempt. This has led to mass arrests, dismissals, and asset seizures in Turkey, and ongoing efforts to target its members and institutions abroad. Its founder, Fethullah Gülen, died in October 2024, but Turkish authorities continue their crackdown, with thousands investigated and detained in 2026, while the movement maintains its civic and educational activities globally, denying all terrorism allegations.
📊Key Facts
📅Complete Timeline14 events
Movement's Origins in Turkey
The Hizmet Movement, also known as the Gülen Movement, began as a grassroots community in Turkey, inspired by Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, focusing on education and social service.
Fethullah Gülen Moves to the United States
Fethullah Gülen moved to the United States, settling in Pennsylvania, where he lived in self-imposed exile until his death.
Alliance with AKP
The Hizmet Movement and its affiliates cooperated with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP), contributing to the AKP's rise to power and influencing various state institutions.
Corruption Investigations and Rift with Erdoğan
Corruption investigations implicating Erdoğan's government and inner circle led to a significant rift between the AKP and the Hizmet Movement, with Erdoğan accusing the movement of orchestrating the probes.
Designated as a Terrorist Organization (FETÖ)
The Turkish state officially designated the Hizmet Movement as a terrorist organization, calling it the "Fethullah Terrorist Organization" (FETÖ).
Failed Coup Attempt and Intensified Crackdown
A failed military coup attempt occurred in Turkey, which President Erdoğan immediately blamed on Fethullah Gülen and the Hizmet Movement, leading to a massive and widespread government crackdown.
State of Emergency Declared
Following the coup attempt, a state of emergency was declared in Turkey, lasting until July 2018, granting the government extensive powers to conduct purges and suppress dissent.
Fethullah Gülen Dies in the US
Fethullah Gülen, the spiritual leader and inspiration behind the Hizmet Movement, died in a hospital in Pennsylvania at the age of 83.
Turkey's Crackdown on the Gülen Movement: 2025 in Review
Reports by foreign governments and human rights bodies reaffirmed that Turkey's crackdown on the Gülen movement remained widespread and systematic in 2025, with 1,601 arrests over alleged links.
International Conference on Hizmet Movement in India
An international conference titled "The Role of Social Movements in Cultivating Trust and Collaboration in Diverse Societies" was scheduled in India to discuss the Hizmet Movement's contributions and challenges.
Human Rights Watch Report on Turkey
Human Rights Watch's World Report 2026 highlighted that thousands of people in Turkey continue to face detention, investigations, and unfair trials on terrorism charges for alleged links with the Gülen movement.
Turkish Court Keeps Arrest Warrant for Deceased Gülen
A Turkish court controversially kept an arrest warrant in force for Fethullah Gülen, despite his death in October 2024, in a case involving dozens of co-defendants.
Turkey Seeks Renewed Extradition Push
Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced that Turkey would update and resubmit extradition requests for people accused of links to the Hizmet Movement, signaling a renewed push to bring government critics back from abroad.
10th Anniversary of Coup Attempt; Crackdown Continues
On the 10th anniversary of the failed coup, President Erdoğan reiterated that the Gülen movement remains a threat, as official figures revealed over 720,000 people investigated and 127,102 convicted since 2016.
Follow this story
Get an email when this timeline gets a major update.
🔍Deep Dive Analysis
The Hizmet Movement, meaning "service" in Turkish, emerged in Turkey in the 1970s, inspired by the teachings of Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. It grew into a global network emphasizing education, interfaith dialogue, and humanitarian aid, establishing schools, universities, media outlets, and charities in over 160 countries.
Initially, the movement was an ally of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, playing a significant role in the AKP's rise to power. However, relations soured dramatically after alleged corruption investigations in December 2013 implicated Erdoğan's government and inner circle, which Erdoğan dismissed as a "judicial coup" orchestrated by Gülen's followers.
A pivotal turning point occurred in May 2016, when the Turkish state officially designated the Hizmet Movement as a terrorist organization, labeling it the "Fethullah Terrorist Organization" (FETÖ). This designation intensified after a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016, which President Erdoğan immediately blamed on Gülen and his followers. Gülen, who had been living in self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999, vehemently denied any involvement in the coup.
In the aftermath of the coup attempt, Turkey launched a sweeping crackdown, leading to mass arrests, detentions, and dismissals of hundreds of thousands of people from public service, including police officers, judges, teachers, and academics, based on alleged links to the movement. Thousands of institutions, including schools, universities, media outlets, and businesses, were closed or confiscated, with assets worth billions of Turkish lira seized. This campaign of repression has been criticized by international human rights organizations and UN bodies, which have raised concerns about arbitrary detentions, unfair trials, and the lack of a legal basis under international law for Turkey's designation of the movement as a terrorist organization.
As of August 2026, the crackdown continues. Fethullah Gülen died on October 20, 2024, at the age of 83 in Pennsylvania, where he had resided for 25 years. Despite his death, a Turkish court in May 2026 controversially kept an arrest warrant for him in force. In the first half of 2026 alone, Turkish authorities conducted over a thousand operations, detaining thousands more individuals accused of Gülen links. Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced in July 2026 that over 720,000 people have been investigated, with 127,102 convicted and 83,404 still under investigation or on trial since the 2016 coup attempt. Turkey is also seeking renewed extradition efforts for alleged Gülen-linked individuals from abroad. Internationally, the Hizmet Movement continues its activities, with conferences planned in 2026 to discuss its contributions to education, dialogue, and community service, while also addressing the challenges of state-sponsored persecution.
What If...?
Explore alternate histories. What if Hizmet Movement made different choices?