Gulen’s Lawyers Fear Attack on His Life

EghtesadOnline: Lawyers for US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen say they fear an attack on his life, in the wake of the failed coup attempt on 15 July in Turkey.

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07 August 2016

Turkey has issued an arrest warrant for Gulen, accusing him of orchestrating the coup attempt. It has called on the US to extradite him. Gulen denies any involvement, BBC reported. Turkey has cracked down heavily in the wake of the coup attempt. On Friday, the governing AK Party ordered an internal purge of Gulen supporters. More than 270 people died in events surrounding the coup attempt. Speaking at a news conference in Washington, Gulen’s lawyers said they expected him to remain at the Pennsylvania compound where he lives in self-imposed exile and not attempt to flee. Gulen is a reclusive figure who rarely makes contact with the media. One of the lawyers, Reid Weingarten, said, “It would be unprecedented and appalling if the United States took a frail almost-octogenarian, plopped him on a plane to go back into that kind of setting with the hideous things that are being said about him by the entire Turkish government.”