Three more former Turkish footballers embroiled in anti-Gülen sports probe
ISTANBUL
REUTERS photo
An Istanbul prosecutor has issued an arrest warrant for three former football stars as part of an investigation probing alleged infiltration of the movement of U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen into Turkish football.Two weeks after a warrant was issued against footballer-turned-politician Hakan Şükür and his father Selmet Şükür over alleged links to the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETÖ), Istanbul prosecutor Mehmet Şenay Baygın has also issued warrants for former players Arif Erdem, İsmail Demiriz and Uğur Tütüneker.
Staging operations to arrest the suspects, police detained Demiriz at his home in the Büyükçekmece district of Istanbul. The two others suspects, along with Şükür, were confirmed to be abroad.
In addition to his arrest warrant, a Turkish court in the northwestern province of Sakarya on Aug. 12 had ruled for the seizure of property and possessions owned by Şükür and his father, worth 200 million Turkish Liras, after identifying the two as providing financial support to FETÖ.
As part of the same probe, Şükür’s father Selmet Şükür was arrested after being caught by police in a mosque during Friday prayers in the Adapazarı district of Sakarya on Aug. 12.
Hakan Şükür was one of the stars of Turkey’s third place performance in the 2002 World Cup and became a household name in the football-mad country.
A striker whose football career stretched from 1987 to 2007, Şükür was by far the most prolific goal scorer in the history of the Turkish national side, finding the net 51 times in 112 appearances.
The Turkish government accuses FETÖ of being behind the thwarted military coup attempt of July 15.
Staging operations to arrest the suspects, police detained Demiriz at his home in the Büyükçekmece district of Istanbul. The two others suspects, along with Şükür, were confirmed to be abroad.
In addition to his arrest warrant, a Turkish court in the northwestern province of Sakarya on Aug. 12 had ruled for the seizure of property and possessions owned by Şükür and his father, worth 200 million Turkish Liras, after identifying the two as providing financial support to FETÖ.
As part of the same probe, Şükür’s father Selmet Şükür was arrested after being caught by police in a mosque during Friday prayers in the Adapazarı district of Sakarya on Aug. 12.
Hakan Şükür was one of the stars of Turkey’s third place performance in the 2002 World Cup and became a household name in the football-mad country.
A striker whose football career stretched from 1987 to 2007, Şükür was by far the most prolific goal scorer in the history of the Turkish national side, finding the net 51 times in 112 appearances.
The Turkish government accuses FETÖ of being behind the thwarted military coup attempt of July 15.