What Fethullah Gülen left in Ghana, and who inherits it in West Africa
Following the death of Fethullah Gülen, the status of his movement's schools and infrastructure in Ghana remains a point of contention. The Turkish government continues to pressure Ghanaian authorities to transfer these assets to the state-run Maarif Foundation.
Why it matters
The situation illustrates the long-term geopolitical influence of the Turkish state on its overseas educational networks and diplomatic relations in Africa.
Fethullah G len died in a Pennsylvania hospital in October 2024, seventeen months before this piece was written, having spent a quarter of a century directing a global movement from exile without ever returning to the country of his birth. In Ghana, as across much of West Africa, the question his death leaves behind is not who succeeds him as a spiritual figure, but who now controls the schools, networks and goodwill his movement built before Ankara turned against it.
The article provides a balanced overview of the institutional legacy and the political pressures surrounding the movement's assets.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in