1938-06-15 03:43:39

Fethullah Gulen is born in Erzurum, Turkey

1945-06-15 14:32:46

Gulen begins studying the Quran

1959-06-15 00:11:36

Gulen becomes an imam in Edirne

1961-06-15 10:10:11

Gulen begins his mandatory military service in Ankara

1966-06-15 05:58:06

Gulen starts working as an imam in Izmir

1969-06-15 07:00:35

Gulen organizes coffeehouse meetings along Turkey's Aegean coast

1971-06-15 21:22:10

Gulen is arrested during the military coup

He is released six months later but is banned from doing public lectures.

1975-06-15 00:32:37

Gulen organizes a series of conferences including “Science and the Quran”

1977-06-15 16:50:47

Gulen conducts his first sermon at the Sultanahmet Mosque in Istanbul

Prime Minister Suleyman Demirel is among the crowd during his second sermon.

1980-06-15 14:40:58

Turkey witnesses its third military coup

1982-06-15 23:38:30

First Gulen-inspired school opens in Izmir

1986-06-15 07:20:45

Gulen is arrested, interrogated and released

1992-06-01 07:20:45

First Gulen-inspired international school opens in Azerbaijan

Gulen visits President Turgut Ozal in the US while the president undergoes surgery.

1993-06-15 06:54:20

President Ozal dies

1996-06-15 15:48:34

Gulen makes a substantial donation to a Turkish police foundation

1997-06-15 00:00:00

Prime Minister Erbakan is forced to resign

Some call the move a “postmodernist military coup.”

1998-06-15 06:40:55

Gulen meets Pope Jean Paul II

1999-06-15 23:40:55

Gulen arrives in the US for medical treatment

Meanwhile, a secret recording of a controversial Gulen sermon is aired on Turkish TV.

2000-06-15 14:19:42

Accusations against Gulen

Gulen is accused of setting up an illegal organization to undermine the secular foundations of the Turkish Republic.

2001-06-15 22:01:24

Gulen becomes one of the first Muslim scholars to condemn the 9/11 attacks

He also applies for a US green card.

2003-06-15 03:11:30

Recep Tayyip Erdogan becomes prime minister

2007-06-15 13:42:28

Turkish army writes controversial memo on upcoming presidential elections

Meanwhile, over 200 nationalists and secularists are arrested as part of the so-called Ergenekon Operation.

2008-06-15 13:42:28

Gulen is acquitted of all charges brought up against him in 2000

2010-06-15 13:42:28

Gulen contradicts Erdogan by speaking against the Turkish flotilla to Gaza

2011-06-15 13:42:28

A listening device is discovered in Erdogan's office

2012-06-15 13:42:28

Intelligence Director Hakan Fidan subpoenaed by allegedly Gulenist judge

2013-06-15 15:33:08

Gulen is listed in Time's "100 Most Influential People in the World”

Gulen makes a public statement sympathetic towards the Gezi protestors. Erdogan announces college prep courses, often operated by Gulenists, will be converted to regular schools.

2014-06-15 07:45:18

MIT trucks stopped near Turkey-Syria border

Allegedly Gulenist prosecutors, police officers and soldiers intercept trucks operated by Turkish Intelligence near the Turkish-Syrian border.

2015-06-15 07:45:18

Turkish bank watchdog BDDK takes control of Gulen-affiliated Bank Asya

An Ankara court also appoints a panel of trustees to take control of Koza Ipek Holding, one of the biggest companies managed by the group.

2016-10-15 03:30:24

An Istanbul court orders trustees to take control of Feza Gazetecilik

The company owns several TV stations and newspapers controlled by the Gulen Movement, including Zaman, one of Turkey’s most popular dailies.