For the past 50 years, I have been fortunate to take part in a civil society movement, sometimes referred to as Hizmet, whose participants and suppor… - Fethullah Gülen

Turkey has now reached a point where democracy and human rights have almost been shelved. I hope and pray that those in power reverse their current domineering path. In the past the Turkish people have rejected elected leaders who strayed from a democratic path. I hope they will exercise their legal and democratic rights again to reclaim the future of their country.

At a time when Western democracies are searching for moderate Muslim voices, I and my friends in the Hizmet movement have taken a clear stance against extremist violence, from the Sept. 11 attacks by Al Qaeda to brutal executions by the Islamic State to the kidnappings by Boko Haram.

No one, including me, is above the law. I want those responsible for this coup, regardless of their background, to go through a fair legal process and receive the punishment they deserve. Since the judicial system in Turkey has been under political tutelage since October 2014, the possibility of a fair trial is low. That's why I have repeatedly declared that an international commission should be established on this issue and that I would willingly comply with the conclusion of this commission.