Is the U.S. behind Fethullah Gulen?

Whenever I talk with another Turk about the Gulen movement, a question invariably props up: is the CIA behind Gulen? In fact for most Turks this is a rather rhetorical question, with an incontrovertible answer. The belief that Gulen and his activities are orchestrated by the U.S. is as strongly held as it is widespread among Turks of all political coloration – secular or Islamist.

This is my attempt at providing a reasoned answer to the question. My conclusion in brief: I don’t think Gulen is a tool of the U.S. or has received support from the U.S. for its clandestine operations. But it is possible that some elements within the U.S. national security apparatus think Gulen furthers their agenda, is worth protecting on U.S. soil, and have so far prevailed on other voices in the establishment with different views. Regardless, the U.S. needs to seriously reconsider its attitude towards Gulen and his movement.

Direct support?

Those who believe the U.S. is behind Gulen typically make two arguments. First, they point to how Gulen got his green card in the first place. The long list of individuals who wrote letters of recommendations on Gulen’s behalf includes two long-time CIA employees (George Fidas and Graham Fuller) and a former U.S. ambassador to Turkey (Morton Abramowitz). These individuals write in their individual capacities and their advocacy was based both on Gulen’s persecution by the then-secularist Turkish judiciary and on Gulen’s apparent promotion of a moderate brand of Islam.

On the latter question, at least, it is fair to assume that these recommenders had only limited knowledge of Gulen’s full corpus, which includes some fairly incendiary stuff against Jews, Christians, the United States, and Western Europe. (Some years ago I showed one of the letter writers a particularly anti-semitic sermons and asked him if he was aware of it; he said he had no idea.)

However, the more important point about his green card -– and one that is overlooked in Turkey -- is that the U.S. administration was in fact opposed to giving Gulen a green card. It rejected Gulen’s application, and then strenuously objected when Gulen’s lawyers appealed. Lawyers for the Department of Homeland Security were scathing about Gulen’s qualifications and argued there was no evidence he was an individual of exceptional ability in the field of education: “far from being an academic, plaintiff seeks to cloak himself with academic status by commissioning academics to write about him and paying for conferences at which his work is studied.”

Gulen owes his residency not to the U.S. executive branch (and whichever intelligence agency may be hiding behind it), but to a federal judge with scant interest in foreign policy or intelligence matters who somehow nonetheless ruled in his favor. The judge’s argument was that the Administration had construed the relevant field of “education” too narrowly, and should have considered Gulen’s contributions to other areas such as “theology, political science, and Islamic studies.”

The second argument is that Gulen and his followers would not have been so successful in spreading their empire and influence without active U.S. support. I think this severely underestimates the movement’s own capabilities. Gulen has long stressed education, organization, and secrecy. His movement has invested in raising a “golden generation” of smart, well-trained individuals. Lack of resources has never been a constraint, thanks to the contributions of an army of devout businessmen. As the AKP found out to its own chagrin, its most capable and competent public servants turned out to be serving a different master in Pennsylvania. And in any case, this argument exaggerates U.S.’ own capabilities in my view: given the CIA’s history of blunders, there is in fact much that it could learn from the Gulen movement on cloak-and-dagger operations.

The critical question here is whether there is anything the movement has done that it could not have done without active U.S. backing. Did it really need the help of some U.S. intelligence agency to expand its charter-school network, to stage the Sledgehammer trial, or to infiltrate and organize within the Turkish military? I don’t think so.    

Tacit support?

The U.S. government may not have had a direct hand in Gulen’s activities, but it is more difficult to dismiss the argument that it provided tacit support – or that some parts of the U.S. administration prevailed on other parts who were less keen on Gulen.  

Judging by Wikileaks cables, U.S. diplomats in Turkey were exceptionally knowledgeable about Gulenist activities. These cables are in fact a goldmine of information on the Gulen movement. Form these we learn, among others, about the elaborate ruses used by Gulenist sympathizers to infiltrate the Turkish army, Gulen’s request for support from the Jewish Rabbinate’s during his green card application, and the attempt by sympathizers within the Turkish national police to get a “clean bill of health” for Gulen from the U.S. consulate in Istanbul. We also learn that even in the heyday of their alliance, Gulenists presciently regarded Erdogan as a liability.

Perhaps of more direct interest to the U.S., foreign service officers have long been aware that many Turks have been obtaining visas under false pretenses, with the ultimate aim of ending up as teachers in Gulen’s charter schools. Yet apparently nothing was ever done to stop this flow, nor to hold the movement to account. A ridiculous number of H-1B visas have been issued to Turkish teachers in these schools. One naturally wonders why the U.S. administration never clamped down on the Gulen movement for apparent visa fraud.

The same question arises with respect to the widespread pattern of financial improprieties that has been uncovered in Gulen’s charter schools. A whistleblower has provided evidence that Turkish teachers are required to kick back a portion of their salary to the movement. The FBI has seized documents revealing preferential awarding of contracts to Turkish-connected businesses. Such improprieties are apparently still under investigation. But the slow pace at which the government has moved does make one suspect that there is no overwhelming desire to bring Gulen to justice.  

Gulen typically defends himself against such charges by saying that the schools are run by sympathizers and are not directly under his control. Yet the fact is that he took direct credit for the schools in his green card application, saying he had overseen their establishment.

Then there is the Sledgehammer case, which has the Gulen movement’s fingerprints all over it. This and the closely related Ergenekon trials did untold damage to the military of U.S.’ Nato ally. The jailing of hundreds of officers, including a former chief of staff, sowed a climate of fear and suspicion within the army and sapped military morale. Perhaps the U.S. was bamboozled, like many others, early on about these trials. But by now it should know that these sham trials were launched and stage managed by Gulenists. American officials have been quick to complain in public about the damage the post-coup purge has done to Turkish military capabilities. Yet there was not a peep from them during the Ergenekon and Sledgehammer witch hunts; and nor has the U.S. administration expressed any discontent about the Gulen movement’s role in them since.

The failed coup

The mystery only deepens after the botched coup. The U.S. has demanded credible evidence from Turkey on Gulen’s involvement, which is as it should be. But beyond that, it appears from the outside as if administration officials have been interested mostly in throwing cold water on the Turkish government’s claim that Gulen was behind the coup – a claim that is largely justified.

The most egregious example is that of James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence. Asked whether Turkish allegations that Gulen planned the attempted coup passed the “smell test” of credibility, Clapper answered: “No. Not to me.” Clapper said Secretary of State Kerry “was right on the ball” to press the Turks to back up their extradition request with evidence of Gulen’s involvement, adding: “We haven’t seen it yet. We certainly haven’t seen it in intel.”

Now coming from the head of American intelligence, this is no less than a stunning statement. As the Wikileaks cables I referred to above make clear, the State Department, at least, has been well aware of Gulenist infiltration of the Turkish military for quite some time. The Gulenists’s role in Sledgehammer, which led to the discharge of many of the most Kemalist/secularist officers in the military is equally clear. Beyond Sledgehammer, the Gulenists’ wide range of clandestine operations against opponents in Turkey must be well known to American intelligence. So when the most senior intelligence officer in the U.S. instinctively brushes off Gulen’s possible involvement, it looks awfully like he is either incompetent or has something to hide.

Since Clapper’s statement was made, the head of the Turkish military, who was held hostage by the putschists during the coup attempt, has said that one of his captors offered to put him in touch with Gulen directly. This, on its own, is prima facie evidence of Gulen’s involvement, and likely passes the “probable cause” test that is required for extradition. Incredibly, administration officials are still quoted as saying “there is no credible evidence of Mr. Gulen’s personal involvement.” In other words, these officials must think that the army chief of their NATO ally is lying.     

(I will not get into former CIA official Graham Fuller’s silly piece exonerating the Gulen movement, which is at best woefully uninformed, at worst willfully misleading. Fuller has been retired for some time, and I doubt he is playing any role in administration policy.)

So what the hell is going on here?

In light of the confusing signals that come out of the U.S., and the apparent desire of many people in or close to the administration to defend Gulen, it’s not difficult to empathize with those in Turkey who believe the U.S. must be behind Gulen (and, yes, even the coup attempt). I think it is too farfetched to think that the U.S. knew of beforehand or supported the coup. There were far too many risks and too few benefits for the U.S. to be involved. And contrary to what many people in Turkey believe, U.S. intelligence is far from omniscient – so yes, the coup likely did happen without U.S. knowledge.

But it is not farfetched to think that there are some groups in the administration – perhaps in the intelligence branches – who have been protecting Gulen because they think he is useful to U.S. foreign policy interests. This could be because Gulen’s brand/mask of moderate Islam is a rare thing in that part of the world. It could be because taking Gulen down would only benefit groups in Turkey they consider more inimical to U.S. interests – Erdogan’s AKP and the arch-secularists. It is even possible that the movement has occasionally performed services for U.S. intel operations. (Some of Gulen’s schools in Central Asia were used to “shelter” American spies according to a former Turkish intelligence chief.) That kind of thing would not be beneath either the CIA or the Gulen movement.

Perhaps these groups have so far have had the better of the argument and have held the upper hand in the administration against those in State or elsewhere who know full well what the Gulen movement is up to and would rather see him go. In the aftermath of the coup, perhaps this balance will change in favor of the latter. Perhaps not. Whether it does or not, I think the Gulen issue will ultimately explode in somebody’s face in the U.S. The only questions are whose, and when.

I would be the first to admit that this is just a hypothesis. But if there is a better story that explains the U.S. reaction I’d love to hear it.

Extradition?

It is very unlikely that Gulen would receive a fair trial in Turkey. So the U.S. has a legitimate ground for not extraditing him. But the U.S. foreign policy establishment would be making a very big mistake if they simply dismissed the calls from Turkey about Gulen’s complicity. It is easy for the U.S. to hide behind Erdogan’s clampdown and the ill treatment of the putschists. But the U.S. has considerable explaining to do too.  

Comments

[pschaeffer]

Thank you for your comments

[Steve_Sailer]

I'd be very reluctant to turn anybody over to Erdogan at present. However, I wouldn't mind seeing Gulen tried in an American court for immigration fraud and education embezzlement.

[EMIP]

The crux of the problem is as Mr. Rodrik states "It is very unlikely that Gulen would receive a fair trial in Turkey". Turkey's Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag is reported today in one of Turkey's leading newspapers, Hurriyet, to have made the asinine statement that the U.S. knows Fetullah Gulen was behind the coup attempt and that "there is no need for evidence to prove this" (ABD'nin, darbe girişiminin arkasında Fetullah Gülen'in olduğunu bildiğini ve bunun ispat için de delile hacet olmadığını anlatan Adalet Bakanı Bozdağ ..." http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gulen-baska-bir-ulkeye-kacabilir-40177431

Nonetheless, as the person believed to be responsible for setting in motion a chain of events which have led to the deaths of hundreds of Turkish citizens, Gulen must be tried. Perhaps before an international tribunal with the consent of both the U.S. and Turkey. Failure of the U.S. to allow Gulen to be brought to trial outside of the United States in an impartial venue would clearly suggest that it is afraid of Gulen spilling the beans on his possible shady dealings with the intelligence community.

[D]

Two points:

1.If it is "farfetched" for the US to be involved in the coup because there were "too many risks and too few benefits", that argument also applies to Gulen and the coup, assuming that the commentators that called it hasty and amateurish are correct.

2. Assuming General Akar is credible (and I have no reason to believe one way or the other, so sure) his testimony is still hearsay. We can be reasonably confident that a coup plotter offered to put him in touch with Gulen, our confidence in such a coup plotter actually having contact with Gulen, let alone blessing and support, should be considerably less.

[Smtlci]

Great article. Only overlooked point is Gulen's role in anti-communist organizations, especially during turbulent years that led to the coup of 1980. Such organizations were no doubt supported by the US intelligence, and I believe it would not be farfetched to claim Gulen and certain intelligence officers had an affinity reaching back to those times.

[ftimur]

U.S. has a legitimate ground for not extraditing an accomplice to be tried by his accomplice!

[Steve_Sailer]

By the way, retired CIA insider Graham Fuller may have also helped the Tsarnaev family who bombed the Boston Marathon get asylum in the U.S. Weird but true: Fuller used to be the father-in-law of the Tsarnaev Brothers' Uncle Ruslan.

America needs a National Immigration Safety Board, modeled on the National Transportation Safety Board, to investigate immigration disasters and report on reforms that need to be undertaken to lessen the chances of them happening again.

Since the Gulen Cult has likely skimmed something approaching a billion dollars of taxpayer money on its charter school operations, Imam Gulen would be a good case to start with.

It might be prudent to put Fuller under oath and find out who else he has helped obtain asylum besides Gulen and the Tsarnaevs ...

[Steve_Sailer]

Perhaps Gulen is an old Operation Gladio asset that the CIA (or whomever) felt they were in debt to?

But if so, why can't these kind of people find exile in Panama or the Cayman Islands or somewhere like that instead of in my USA?

Look at the case of the Chechen cage fighter Ibrahim Todashev who was gunned down by an FBI agent while he was purportedly writing his confession of helping Tamerlan Tsarnaev ritually murder three American weed dealers in Waltham, MA on the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

Young Todashev was granted asylum in the U.S. even though his dad is a high official Russia, about 3 levels down the org chart from Ramzan Kadyrov and thus only 4 levels below Putin.

Does that strike anybody else as weird?

[the i-dealist]

Thoughtful and helpful piece.

It seems that there is a growing consensus in Turkey now that the US was behind the coup.

But I can personally see no US or Western benefit whatsoever to destabilising Turkey and its armed forces at this time. So something else must have been going on.

I'd assume that Gulenist forces took the step (mostly) alone and precipitated by fear. Of a purge? Or Erdogan turning North and East? Of shifting dynamics with the PKK?

Timing is everything. So why now?

[Silverberg-on-meltdown-economics.blogspot.com]

Again, as you readily admit, this post is based entirely on speculation.

And in what sense is Graham's Huffington Post article downright silly? It struck me as rather reasonable, although I can't claim to be an expert on Turkish political intrigue.

[pschaeffer]

Mr. Rodrik,

I appreciate that you have many other topics to address at this point... However, the Sibel Edmonds story has long struck me as important and badly under-reported. She alleges all manner of illicit relationships between the U.S., Turkey, Israel, etc. Any comments you might offer would be welcome.

[Joe McGuire]

How convenient for General Akar that a putschist offers him direct contact with Gulen. "Hey, you can call him on my iPhone!" Doesn't every soldier have a direct line to the commanding general?

With political opponents, judges, journalists and the military being purged and jailed, Turkey was not looking much like a democracy, much less the rule of law. And that was before the alleged putsch.

[staral]

Prof. Rodrik (and his Wife) were meticulously price throughout the infamous Sledgehammer trial that lasted for so many years; they wrote two books and ran a excellent website called balyozvegercekler (mostly in turkish; partially english).
Their magnificient struggle to uncover the truth will go into history; I think it should taught at universities as a case study.
I see now he keeps his objective stance further even though everybody knows Sledgehammer and other similar fake trials were carried out by the Gulenists. It is only fair to ask However: who prepared the lists of officiers (mostly from Navy), journalist, rectors to be targeted? These officiers were accused of planning a coup and most of them were from the Navy, so far away from Ankara! Could it be that Gulen hated the Navy most?

[Pajic]

Excellent article. I join pschaeffer in recommending Sibel Edmond's reporting about the current Turkey events. She predicted the current coup attempt in Nov/Dec 2015.

Edmonds explains why highly-placed lawmakers and officials in the USA and elsewhere will protect Gulen (and D. Hastert). The web of corruption, blackmail, pedophilia, extortion, drug-running, espionage and other criminal activities is so widespread (and widely known by FBI, CIA, DoJ, foreign agencies, and criminal networks), and would bring down so many high-profile people including members of Congress and Executive branch from both parties, that no one in government wants to have these things exposed in trial.

So it is that people committing horrendous crimes are protected, or at most get a plea bargain. (For example, former Speaker of the House Hastert was prosecuted only for relatively minor financial wrongdoing. Not a single person mentioned the pedophilia or espionage though these activities were well known by all the US law and intelligence agencies who had monitored him for years.) Media won't touch it; they can't afford to alienate powerful people.

When one sees the unsavory underbelly--and it is beyond disgusting--then the ambivalent CIA/Gulen relationship makes more sense. No wonder even the worst criminals are not afraid of being prosecuted. They know powerful people will go to any length to prevent this information from coming into the open in a trial. Gulen made it his business to know lots of secrets about lots of people. It gives him a strong hand when it comes to influencing USA policies and activities at the highest levels, including protecting him from prosecution or extradition.

Edmonds thinks the USA will probably run out the clock by allowing Gulen indefinite appeals until he eventually dies. She also thinks the Turkey coup attempt is not over, and that the Incirlik nukes are already being featured prominently in the media to provide justification for NATO coming in and bringing in regime change. In her view, the Turkish people will be the determining factor.

[B Bariman]

Why is the stance of opposition MP's being ignored?

The CHP, MHP, and HDP are pretty clear that this was a Gulenist operation. They agree on not much else and have said a lot of harsh things from different angles about Erdogan.

Maybe the nuance anti-Erdogan Westerners should pick up on is that the Gulenists were enabled by Erdogan's 2007-2011 drive to push 'religious'cadres into the state and military.

Erdogan's opposition are honourably recognizing that though Erdogan has been attacked by a monster he created, they certainly cannot gloat and must help him remove the cadres he planted in the first place.

Yes, foreigners can't be expected to be Turkey experts, and there is a democratic 'cache' in questioning Erdogan, but please a little research will help. Gulen did not come along out of Erdogan's imagination.

PRE-ERDOGAN-AKP Turkish authorities and journalists warned for many DECADES before July 15 about Gulenists' multi-pronged strategy: the school network, cheating on university and civil service entrance exams, the loyalty to the leader, the money, the coordinated (though almost farcically zigzagging) editorial positions of their media fronts, and the payments to politicians in the West.

Whether Erdogan is the right person to cure this problem is an open question (he enabled the infiltration!), but I can't see how any Turkish citizen could sleep comfortably how far these cadres had occupied the state apparatus.

Even worse is the shoulder shrugging from our Western 'allies'.

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