When Worlds Collide right under our noses

It is rare for our area to be in the crosshairs of international intrigue. Even rarer is how few residents bordering the central figure of this intrigue know what it’s all about.

Muhammed Fethullah Gulen, 77, is a former Turkish citizen living in Ross Township, Monroe County, who has been accused by Turkey’s President Recip Erdogan of trying to overthrow his government 2½ years ago.

Erdogan has demanded that the United States extradite Gulen, which would inevitably mean certain conviction and a death warrant. Gulen has categorically denied the allegations. “Accusations against me related to the coup attempt are baseless, politically motivated slanders,” he wrote in 2017, about a year after the botched attempt. A number of journalists who support Gulen’s teachings were rounded up and arrested after the attempted coup. The government concluded that Gulen most definitely had a hand in the overthrow try.

Gulen lives in exile at the Golden Generation Worship and Retreat Center, a 25-acre property on Mount Eaton Road, Saylorsburg. His followers view Gulen as a spiritual leader, writer and poet. Erdogan, with whom Gulen was once allied, views him as a terrorist intent on overthrowing him and the legitimate Turkish government.

Caught in the middle are President Donald Trump and his administration, who insist that Gulen is living legally in the United States under green card status. As a major ally of the United States, Erdogan is pressuring the government to return Gulen as a criminal who must stand trial for these alleged war crimes.

Last November, the Trump administration asked the Justice Department to determine whether there are any legal justifications for Gulen’s deportation.

In December, the Justice Department announced that two people had been indicted as illegal agents of the Turkish government. They have been accused of covertly trying to influence U.S. politicians and public opinion against Gulen.

According to the indictment, the men are former associates of one-time Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, and they tried to discredit Gulen starting in July 2016, around the time of the unsuccessful coup attempt.

The U.S. State Department said the Erdogan government has yet to provide compelling evidence that Gulen had a hand in the attempted coup.

This is high-powered news for a municipality of 5,800 residents. Earlier this year, I did an unscientific survey talking to residents from Ross and bordering municipalities Hamilton, Polk and Chestnuthill townships in Monroe County and Wind Gap borough in Northampton County.

Eighteen had no idea what I was talking about when I mentioned Gulen, Erdogan and Turkey. Four had heard “something” about the issue but were hard-pressed to give details. Only three had a fairly good understanding of what this issue involved. Most of those who were unaware of the international implications were amazed that this was going on right under their noses.

On the other hand, those who live close by the retreat center’s property said that Gulen and his associates are neighborly. Certainly, there is tight security at the property, for obvious reasons, but several neighbors said that their interactions with Gulen’s associates have been friendly. They said they rarely see Gulen.

About 30 people live and work on the property. Gulen’s living quarters are within one of the estate’s structures. According to associates, Gulen spends his time engaging in Islamic scholarship, writing and giving speeches that are broadcast to adherents of his movement. On occasion, he grants interviews to mainstream media; one of the most recent was to National Public Radio.

Gulen, suffering from heart and other ailments, has been in the United States for medical reasons for nearly 20 years. On the advice of his physician, Gulen chose this pastoral and largely secluded area of Monroe County so he can continue his teachings and outreach to followers in a mainly stress-free environment.

There have been occasional small groups of supporters or detractors who have demonstrated peacefully.

But there have been several police responses, too. The most recent was last October, when a security guard fired a warning shot at an intruder, who fled. State police were called to investigate, but the intruder was never found.

In the extradition issue, I don’t expect that there will be armed troops showing up at Gulen’s property. This battle will be played out at the departments of Justice and State and within our federal court system.

What worries me, however, is that Erdogan supporters might try to take matters into their own hands and lead an assault on the property.

I hope that federal agents and state police are collaborating to head off the possibility of such an ugly incident right under our noses.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com