Fethullah Gulen laid the groundwork for an organisation called Hizmet or Service in the 1970s. His religious credentials gained him a strong and loyal following around the world which he later exploited for his own agenda. In the 1990s he went into self-imposed exile from Turkey and has been living in Pennsylvania in the US ever since. Turkey has accused him of being the mastermind behind the 15 July 2016 failed coup