Lawyers for Exiled Turkish Cleric Blamed for Coup Attempt Fear for His Life - WSJ

A handout file picture made available on 27 December 2013 by fgulen.com shows Fethullah Gulen.EPA/BGNES

Lawyers for the exiled Turkish businessman and cleric Fethullah Gulen, who lives in the United States, have said they fear for his life, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Fethullah Gulen of orchestrating the failed coup attempt in the country on July 15 - a charge the cleric denies.

The lawyers have also said that they may ask U.S. authorities to help protect him.

The Turkish authorities demand that the U.S. extradite Gulen to Turkey to face trial.

However, U.S. officials don’t expect to extradite Gulen “because they aren’t convinced by the evidence Ankara has presented so far and are troubled by threatening public statements from Turkish officials,” The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing inside sources.

Meanwhile, six lawyers of Gulen in Turkey have fled abroad, Anadolu Agency reported on Friday citing a police source.

According to the source, police carried out an operation to arrest 31 lawyers in Ankara, 16 of whom were detained. The suspects were accused of "attempting to prevent constitutional order through force and violence,” according to the Turkish news agency.

 

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