FETÖ: Identity Invasion as a Cult and the Strategy of Infiltrating Politics

Introduction
The Fetullah Terrorist Organisation is not a religious or Sufi organisation in the classical and traditional sense. The Fetullah Terrorist Organisation (FETÖ) is not merely an espionage organisation or one with the appearance of a religious community; it is a cult structure shaped around a charismatic leader and based on mental submission. It is a structure of submission resting on the absolute authority and the sacred, infallible will of the person regarded as leader. Structures of this kind are referred to in the literature as “CULT” structures. In this framework, the FETÖ leader is perceived by his followers as a divine representative, even as a being endowed with divine power. His orders are beyond question. Obedience to him is perceived as a divine command. In short:

• The leader is not merely beyond criticism; he is to be worshipped.
• Orders are not open to question; they are binding like revelation.
• The members of the organisation are not individuals but a mental colony.

Erich Fromm speaks of the individual’s tendency in totalitarian structures to “escape from freedom”. By surrendering to an authority the uncertainty that arises from freedom, the individual feels “safe”. FETÖ is a cult authority structure built on this psychological foundation. This structure paralyses individuals’ moral judgement and replaces it with the organisation’s orders.