Turkey Issues Arrest Warrant for Fethullah Gülen on Charges of 'Leading Coup'

A court in Istanbul, Turkey, on Thursday, August 5, issued an arrest warrant for Fethullah Gülen, a religious cleric residing in the United States, on charges of leading a coup against the government of Turkey. Anadolu Agency reported that Mr. Gülen is accused in the warrant of 'commanding the July 15 coup.' On the evening of July 15, 2016, several members of the Turkish armed forces attempted to overthrow the government of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and take control of the country. This coup ultimately failed, and the Turkish government accused Fethullah Gülen, a religious figure living in the U.S., of leading it. Mr. Gülen, who was initially an ally of the current President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been in voluntary exile in the U.S. for years following a rift with Erdoğan. Gülen leads a vast network of schools and religious institutions around the world, including within Turkey; however, after the coup's failure, the government detained or dismissed tens of thousands of employees from the armed forces, judiciary, administration, universities, and schools on charges of supporting Gülen. Although Turkish officials have pointed fingers at Gülen and his supporters from the beginning, this is the first time since the recent coup that an official arrest warrant has been issued for this religious figure. It is noteworthy that in late 2014, Turkey also issued an arrest warrant for Gülen on charges of 'forming a terrorist armed group.' Turkey has also insisted that the U.S. government extradite this religious cleric to Ankara. Mr. Gülen firmly denies the charges against him, stating that he would surrender if even a small part of these accusations were true. In this context, Gülen stated: 'If one-tenth of the accusations are correct, I will surrender.' The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. condemned the Turkish coup in Ankara. The Austrian Chancellor stated that extremist groups in Turkey are threatening him with death. Erdoğan has again accused the West of supporting the coup. The Secretary-General of the Council of Europe called for Turkey to respect democratic laws and frameworks. An advisor to the Iranian Foreign Minister claimed that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has cancer; however, a spokesperson denied this.