Green Card Coming to Prominent Turkish Leader
A prominent Turkish religious leader will be allowed to stay in the United States after the Bush administration dropped its opposition to his permanent residence, in a case that spanned more than seven years.
The approval comes about three months after a federal court ruled that immigration authorities improperly rejected Fethullah Gülen's application to be classified as "an alien of extraordinary ability," a step that would have facilitated his permanent residence.
The court required immigration officials to decide on the application by Oct. 10, said Gülen's attorney, H. Ronald Klasko. His permanent residence was approved on the same day, Klasko said.
Gülen is a Sufi scholar and educator with millions of followers across Turkey and parts of Central Asia. He has been living in America since around 1999, when he first began health treatments in the country, said Sinan Dursun, a liaison and supporter for Gülen.
"I am glad the application has been approved. The uncertainty had caused a lot of distress. I would like to thank everybody who has been supportive and just," Gülen said in translated comments.
Gülen is one of Turkey's most influential intellectuals, a scholar and preacher of Sufism, a mystical form of Islam. His followers run schools in dozens of countries. In Turkey, they administer hundreds of schools, as well as six universities and various media organizations. His media network reaches millions daily.
Gülen is revered by many but viewed with suspicion by some in the 99 percent Muslim country where secularism is enshrined in the Turkish constitution and religion has traditionally been firmly excluded from politics.
Dursun said Gülen now lives in a secluded compound in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains. He said Gülen moved to America in 1999 for treatment of his health problems, including a heart condition and diabetes.
Klasko said Gülen filed his application to be a permanent residence in the U.S. in 2001. He applied because of his health problems, said Dursun, and the visas he previously had always had time limitations.
About a year ago, U.S. immigration authorities rejected his application to be classified as "an alien of extraordinary ability." Immigration officials had argued that Gülen had not shown he was a person whose abilities were "demonstrated by sustained national or international acclaim and whose achievements have been recognized in the field through extensive documentation."
In July, a federal court ruled that decision was improper.
Klasko said he never understood why Gülen's application was delayed for so long. It usually takes about 1 to 1 1/2 years to decide on an application, he said.
"The government really never wanted to state reasons," Klasko said. "His status was in limbo."
As a permanent resident, Gülen can legally live the rest of his life in the United States, and travel in and out of the country freely. Gülen is now waiting to receive his green card, Klasko said.
"Now that I've got permanent residency here, I assume it would be easier for me to travel to Turkey or any other country for a short time and be able to come back, as far as my health conditions permit," Gülen said.
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