Education
Education

Exiled Turkish cleric linked to coup also connected to charter schools

By Maureen Downey
July 18, 2016

Four years ago, the AJC reported on reclusive Turkish cleric and political figure Fethullah Gulen who inspired the the Gulen movement. The story examined the Gulen movement’s connection to public charter schools, including three operating at the time in Fulton County.

Now, Gulen is back in the news.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the exiled cleric of directing a recent coup attempt from his home in the United States. Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania, advocates a mystical form of Islam that emphasizes democracy, education, science and interfaith dialogue.

In 2012, his name surfaced in connection with a trio of science-oriented charter schools in Fulton County, largely staffed by Turkish teachers.

To read more, go to the AJC Get Schooled blog.

About the Author

Maureen Downey has written editorials and opinion pieces about local, state and federal education policy since the 1990s.

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