The state-run Anadolu news agency said an Istanbul-based court issued the warrant for "ordering the July 15 coup attempt." In December 2014, a court issued a warrant for him on accusations of running an armed group. Anadolu said the court issued the warrant over a number of accusations, including an "attempt to eliminate the government of the Turkish Republic or to prevent it from carrying out its duties." It is not the first time an arrest warrant has been issued for Gulen, who broke ranks publicly with Erdogan in 2013. A court in Turkey issued a formal warrant Thursday for the arrest of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who the government accuses of being behind the failed July 15 coup that left more than 270 people dead.

Source: ABC News August 04, 2016 10:27 UTC