Editing Fethullah Gulen (section)

===Hizmet===
The Hizmet movement’s establishment of schools, cultural centers, and businesses in Central Asia, Africa, and the Middle East during the 1990s and 2000s led to speculation that these institutions served as fronts for CIA intelligence-gathering, particularly in former Soviet states where the U.S. sought influence post-Cold War. Gülen’s moderate, pro-Western Islamic ideology was seen as aligning with U.S. efforts to counter radical Islam and Soviet influence.

A 2008 RAND Corporation report noted that Gülen’s schools in Central Asia promoted a secular, pro-Western education model, which some analysts suggested aligned with U.S. soft power strategies. Critics, including Russian and Turkish officials, claimed these schools could have been used to collect intelligence or foster pro-American sentiment, though no direct CIA link was proven. A leaked 2009 cable from the U.S. Embassy in Ankara (via WikiLeaks) described Gülen’s movement as influential but did not mention CIA involvement.