But why did the former CIA agent meet with an Orthodox Metropolitan Elpidophoros? Next steps of the Constantinople Patriarchate's clergyman shed light on this: immediately after the conversation, Elpidophoros rushed to Istanbul. According to the Turkish newspaper Aydinlik, that night Patriarch Bartholomew left Turkey. The coup started just three hours after his departure.
Barkey's tasks were to coordinate the mutiny and warn FETO's possible partners. Patriarch Bartholomew, who is said to have close ties with Gulen, met with the preacher in Turkey and in the US. A clergyman of Constantinople's Greek American Orthodox Archdiocese Alexander Karloutsos together with Fuller helped Gulen to escape to the USA.
Now we can see what happened that day. Henri Barkey came to Buyukada, met with Metropolitan Elpidophoros who was nearby and conveyed a message to Bartholomew: this night your life and health can be in danger, you should leave Turkey.
Was the Patriarchate involved in the coup attempt? Unlikely. The Patriarchate is a small religious organization and it isn't capable of interfering in politics. Fethullah Gulen might have just decided to take care of his old friend. But the cunning FETO leader could also assume that after successful coup the head of 300 million Orthodox Christians would play into his hands.
It's also notable that Barkey chose Elpidophoros. The Metropolitan could report to the police but he didn't do that. It means there was complete trust between him and the former CIA agent. Moreover, it seems that Elpidophoros is one of Bartholomew's most trusted men.
However, despite all Barkey's efforts, the putschists were defeated and the coup failed. And when Barkey understood FETO had lost, he left Turkey on July 19.
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