A LOOK AT THE GULEN SCHOOLS IN TURKEY: This opinion essay (written by a Radio Free Europe program director) describes how the Gulen movement became a very powerful social and political force in Turkey. The story of a young Kurdish girl who attended a Gulen school in Ankara 20 years ago is the narrative frame. Her parents were initially impressed by the private school’s self-proclaimed educational excellence. Its low cost sealed the deal. Then, as their daughter’s behavior changed, they became suspicious of the Gulen movement’s intentions. Her mother feared she was “being brainwashed.” So they withdrew her. Something was not quite right with Hoca Efendi’s (Gulen’s nickname) rigid socialization system…

Read the essay to find out what wasn’t quite right. Also, note her father emphasized a historical fact that the July coup has obscured:

… But what makes me angry is that Erdogan and Gulen were the right and left hands of the same body until 2013, supporting each other. Now one [Erdogan] is fighting a war against the other [Gulen], laying all the blame in the world on his former ally.”

As long as Gulen helped Erdogan, “not quite right” was OK.