Surprise question to Turkey's Deputy PM: Did Gülen die two years ago?

Did Fethullah Gülen, the U.S.-based Islamic scholar who has turned from being the Turkish government?s ally into its bête noire, die in September, 2013?

This question, highly speculative even in a country of wild conspiracy theories like Turkey, was asked by a mysterious reporter to Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Ar?nç during a post-cabinet meeting press conference late Feb. 3.

The dialogue went as follows:

Reporter: ?There is serious speculation that [Gülen?s death has been concealed] to prevent a massive break-up of the Cemaat [Gülen community]. Have you heard anything about that??

Ar?nç: ?You have surprised me very much.?

Reporter: ?There has been no video footage released of him alive since then.?

Ar?nç: ?If it was April Fool?s Day, I would think that you had asked this question with a certain motive. This is the first time I?ve heard about it and I don?t find it serious. I don?t know whether any rumor or anything like that has ever been heard by my colleagues. You?re serious with this question, aren?t you??

Repoters: ?It was published in newspapers.?

Ar?nç: ?Which newspapers??

Reporter: ?It was in ?Ege?nin Sesi? [a local daily in Turkey?s Aegean region] published a story.?

Ar?nç: ??Ege?nin Sesi?? Do you work for that newspaper??

Reporter: ?No.?

Ar?nç: ?This is the first time I?ve heard about this newspaper. Is it a local one??

Reporter: ?It has been published for years.?

Ar?nç: ?Is it published in ?zmir? So, your source is ?Ege?nin Sesi?? So you are advertising this newspaper. It shouldn?t be taken seriously. God protect our sanity!?

Throughout the rest of the meeting, Ar?nç looked ?confused,? in his own words. ?I am overwhelmed,?...