Editing Fethullah Gulen (section)

===U.S. Residency and Legal Status:===
Gülen’s move to Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1999, officially for medical treatment, raised questions about why the U.S. granted him residency despite his 2000 conviction in Turkey for undermining the secular state. His green card application in 2002 was initially denied but approved in 2008 after support from former U.S. officials, including ex-CIA officer George Fidas, who wrote a letter endorsing Gülen’s contributions to education and interfaith dialogue.  Turkish media and officials cited the involvement of Fidas and other U.S. figures (e.g., former Ambassador Morton Abramowitz) in Gülen’s immigration case as evidence of CIA protection. They argued that the CIA facilitated Gülen’s stay to use him as a geopolitical asset against Turkey or other regional powers.