Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used harsh language against the preacher Fethullah Gulen, who died yesterday, Monday, October 21, and vowed to hunt down his supporters worldwide.

“These traitors managed to escape from Turkish Justice thanks to those who protect them. They left without accounting for the blood of the martyrs they shed. But they will not be able to escape from divine Justice“, Erdogan said while speaking in Ankara to the heads of local organizations of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). “As a state, we will continue our struggle until the complete elimination of FETO. Wherever they are, we will pursue the pack of FETO hyenassaid the Turkish president, referring to Fethullah Gülen’s organization.

Ankara accuses Gülen, who died in exile in Pennsylvania, US, of masterminding the failed 2016 military coup attempt. He was accused by much of the Turkish political establishment of being the “long arm” of Washingtonparticipating in initiatives aimed at redefining the Turkish political system. He lived since 1999 in the United States, where he fled into exile. Ankara sought his extradition, but the United States never granted that request.

Through the religious brotherhood ofwhich he led, Gülen created an Islamist movement with its own identity and a large network of supporters and organizations that were active mainly in education, the media and the provision of social work. He initially supported the Erdogan government, which came to power in 2002, but from 2013 onwards they parted ways. After the 2016 coup attempt, thousands of his supporters, mainly people who held positions in the Public Administration, were either jailed or fled the country.