The news

A Turkish cleric accused of planning a failed coup has died in the United States at the age of 83, the country’s authorities confirmed Monday.

Fetullah Gülen, the spiritual leader of the Gülen movement, which promotes a moderate form of Islam, was blamed for masterminding an attempt to overthrow Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2016 that left 250 people dead – an accusation Gülen consistently denied.

Thousands of state workers, including officials, bureaucrats and military leaders, were arrested in the government’s post-coup crackdown.

Gulen, who had lived in the US since 1999, reportedly died after being admitted to a hospital in Pennsylvania.