Turkish cleric accused over failed 2016 coup dead at 83, reports say

Fethullah Gulen, the Turkish cleric accused of masterminding a bloody attempted coup successful 2016, has died aged 83, according to Turkish media reports.

The cleric, who had been surviving successful self-imposed exile successful the US, died aft being admitted to a Pennsylvania hospital, according to the reports citing groups adjacent to Gulen.

Sometimes described arsenic Turkey's 2nd astir almighty man, Gulen was the spiritual person of the Gulen movement, a almighty Islamic assemblage with followers successful Turkey and worldwide.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blamed the Gulen question for the 2016 attempted coup, accusations Gulen denied.

Gulen roseate to prominence by arguing that young radical successful Turkey had mislaid their mode and acquisition was the champion response.

He became known for promoting a tolerant Islam which emphasised altruism, modesty and hard work.

His question - known successful Turkey arsenic Hizmet oregon "service" - archetypal gained a foothold moving schools, and it went connected to unfastened acquisition institutions crossed Turkey and astir the world.

As the question grew, followers expanded into concern and began taking jobs wrong the authorities and military.

Hizmet was erstwhile an state of Erdogan's, but the Turkish president turned connected the question successful 2013, vowing to unopen down hundreds of its schools and escaped the authorities of Gulenists, who helium called a "state wrong a state".

Gulen-allied constabulary officers were accused of carrying retired raids against Erdogan's allies, and the Turkish authorities formally declared Hizmet a violent organisation successful May 2016.

Two months later, a faction of the Turkish service attempted to overthrow Erdogan. It said its purpose was to support ideology from the authoritarian Turkish president.

Over the people of a convulsive night, TV stations were raided by soldiers, explosions were heard successful Istanbul and Ankara, protesters were changeable and the parliament and statesmanlike buildings were fired upon.

But the coup failed to summation enactment from the nationalist oregon the wider subject and the service faction starring it was forced to surrender.

The authorities blamed Gulen, but helium denied the claims and condemned the coup.

Thousands of arrests followed, including astir a 3rd of the subject apical brass arsenic good arsenic thousands of officials and bureaucrats.

By that time, Gulen was already surviving successful self-imposed exile successful the US, wherever helium moved successful the precocious 1990s.

Turkey requested his extradition to look proceedings but the US has said it needed to spot grounds of his engagement successful the coup first. He remained successful the US until helium died.

BBC News interviewed Gulen astatine his distant Pennsylvania estate successful 2014.

The cleric proved elusive passim the interrogation and dodged questions connected who helium would ballot for successful the upcoming Turkish elections.

"If I were to accidental thing to radical I whitethorn accidental radical should ballot for those who are respectful to democracy, regularisation of law, who get connected good with people," helium said.