Gülen: If One-Tenth of the Accusations Are True, I Will Surrender Myself

Fethullah Gülen, the critic preacher of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan residing in the United States, has once again denied the accusations of involvement in the failed coup in Turkey during an interview with CNN. He stated that if even one-tenth of the claims made by the Ankara government are true, he would surrender himself to them. Gülen's renewed response comes as the Turkish government continues extensive purges in the military and judicial and administrative mechanisms of the country. Ankara describes Gülen as the main figure behind the coup and Turkish officials are demanding his extradition from the United States. The issue of Gülen has sparked disagreements between the two allied countries, both members of NATO. The Turkish Prime Minister recently stated that Washington has 'broken the heart' of Turkey. Prior to these statements, the U.S. President, in a call with his Turkish counterpart, asked Erdoğan to clarify that the accusations linking them to the U.S. are completely unfounded: 'Otherwise, the diplomatic relations between the two countries and the security of American forces in Turkey could be at risk.' In his interview with CNN's 'GPS' program, Gülen said that if 'one-tenth' of the accusations against him are 'true,' then he would 'surrender myself and say: they are right. Let them take me. Let them execute me.' Gülen also suggested that a group of coup plotters might be interested in him, but this has nothing to do with him and he had no involvement in the coup. He reiterated accusations against the Turkish government, stating that 'someone prepared the scene, then someone who seems to be a supporter [of mine] led some people towards this [coup].' According to this preacher residing in Pennsylvania, 'This is more like a Hollywood movie than a military coup. This looks like a staging. It seems they had prepared the ground to do what they are currently doing.' Gülen had previously made similar accusations against the Ankara government, which Turkey has denied. The West and human rights organizations are watching the events and reactions following the coup in Turkey with concern. However, the Turkish government has rejected these criticisms and concerns, stating that detentions, purges, and the dismissal of thousands of military personnel, judges, and employees are necessary to 'stabilize democracy.' The Turkish President's office has not yet responded to Gülen's recent statements. The Turkish government considers the 'Hizmet' movement, based on Gülen's thoughts, a 'terrorist' group. A network of charities, schools, educational centers, and other social and economic institutions are affiliated with the Hizmet movement. According to CNN, the requests made by Ankara for Gülen's extradition do not fall under the list of accusations in the 'extradition laws' agreed upon between the two countries. The Turkish Prime Minister's office states that the government is providing a lot of evidence to the U.S. In this context, an American general denied any involvement in the failed coup in Turkey. Erdoğan ordered changes in the Turkish military structure. The Erdoğan government has revoked the passports of 50,000 people.