Turkey issues arrest warrant in absentia for Gulen

By Baris Kilic

ANKARA

A Turkish court on Friday issued an arrest warrant in absentia for U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen on charges of leading the deadly July 15 coup attempt by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

Public prosecutor of Ankara, which carries out the investigation into the failed coup attempt, demanded the arrest of Gulen, who has been in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999.

The arrest warrant was issued for Gulen on charges of "attempting to overthrow the Turkish government or to prevent it from functioning", "depriving citizens of their liberty by using force, threat or fraud", "attempting to assassinate the president", "attempting to demolish the Turkish parliament with the aim of preventing it from functioning ", "attempting to overthrow the constitutional order" and multiple counts of murder.

Ankara's criminal court of peace no: 2 accepted the prosecutor's demand and issued an arrest warrant in absentia for Gulen.

FETO had aimed to be a worldwide political and economic power, the court ruled, attributing to several crimes committed by the group during the foiled putsch, which claimed 240 lives and injured at least 2,200 others.

Gulen is also accused of implementing a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as "the parallel state".

*Emin Avundukluoglu contributed to this story from Ankara