From partners to sworn enemies

Supporters of Erdogan celebrating his victory in presidential elections outside AK Party headquarters in Istanbul on May 28, 2023. In the early years of Erdogan’s leadership as prime minister, Gulen followers were the most prominent voice for the government in Turkiye and abroad. But by a decade later, Erdogan had come to resent Gulen’s reach, and differences over policy emerged. — ©️2024 The New York Times Company

IT was a spectacular falling out.

Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had risen to power largely thanks to the support of spiritual leader Fethullah Gulen, who died on Oct 20.