Erdogan drives for authoritarianism, Gulen says
Erdogan accuses Fethullah Gulen of harnessing an extensive network of schools, charities and businesses, built up in Turkey and abroad over decades, to infiltrate state institutions and build a “parallel structure” that aimed to take over the country.
As Reuters reports, an Istanbul court on Thursday issued an arrest warrant for the cleric for allegedly “giving the instructions” for the coup attempt, the latest of several warrants issued against him in recent years on charges including running a criminal network.
According to the source, the 75-year-old cleric denies the allegations, and he denounced the arrest warrant.
“It is well documented that the Turkish court system is without judicial independence, so this warrant is yet another example of President Erdogan's drive for authoritarianism and away from democracy,” Gulen said in a statement.