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>>”Gullen is a reformer who wants to modernize Islam.”<<

In my view, Turkey didn’t and doesn’t need a ‘modernized Islam’. Turkish constitution was quite secular (modernized) following Ataturk and remained so until Erdogan and his party won elections. Erdogan has since (over the last 10 years) tried to gradually reverse that, including purging members of the Turkish military. The Turkish military, were originally set up by Ataturk and had a mandate to defend the secular constitution.

Both Gulen and Erdogan espouse an Islamic ideology. The talk about ‘reform’ is nonsense, and I believe is aimed at making things more ‘palatable’ and is a selling tool. It’s akin to saying Khameini is a ‘hardliner’ and Karboui and Moussavi are/were ‘reformists’ (to use Iran’s example). Point is they are both different shades of the same Islamic ideology. The main difference is one is currently in power and the other is not.

It’s very possible that Erdogan has fallen out of favor with the West and especially the US administration (not because of his Islamic ideology, but his shifting alliances), and they are trying to replace him with someone who they think will toe the line and be more manageable.