Cleric Gulen denounces Turkish justice system over arrest warrant

The preacher Turkey accuses of masterminding the failed July coup slammed the country’s judicial system Thursday, after an Istanbul court issued a warrant for his arrest, according to Politico.

“It is well-documented that the Turkish court system is without judicial independence, so this warrant is yet another example of President [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan’s drive for authoritarianism and away from democracy,” Fethullah Gülen said in a statement.

According to the Turkish state-owned Anadolu news agency, the warrant was issued earlier on Thursday and accuses Gülen of “ordering the July 15 coup.”

“The issuance of an arrest warrant from a Turkish court changes nothing about my status or my views,” Gülen said in the statement. “I have repeatedly condemned the coup attempt in Turkey and denied any knowledge or involvement.”

Source: MENA