Story highlights Turkey has issued a new arrest warrant for Gulen over coup attemptGulen still denies he was involved in coup and dismisses warrant(CNN) Exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen has dismissed a new Turkish arrest warrant accusing him of organizing the failed July coup, saying it "changes nothing." A brutal crackdown on alleged rebels has followed a failed coup attempt in Turkey on July 15, which has led to the arrest of thousands of teachers, soldiers and judges. "I have repeatedly condemned the coup attempt in Turkey and denied any knowledge or involvement," he said. In a statement issued Thursday, Gulen said the warrant changed neither his status nor his views. "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."

Source: CNN August 05, 2016 02:15 UTC