Turkish government blames reformist Muslim group for failed coup
July 25, 2016
The government of Turkey has blamed the international Islamic group Hizmet for the July 15 coup that failed to oust President Tayyip Erdogan.
Hizmet, an organization devoted to inter-faith dialogue, has cultivated ties with the Catholic Church. As a result, Turkey's denunciation of the movement in the wake of the coup has sometimes spurred anti-Catholic propaganda.
Fethullah Gülen, the founder of the Hizmet movement, now lives in exile in the US. Turkey has labeled him as a terrorist, and has demanded his extradition to face charges in connection with the coup. US officials, who see Gülen as a non-violent figure, are unlikely to comply with that demand.
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