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Turkey issues arrest warrant for ex-soccer star

Sukur is accused by prosecutors in Sakarya province east of Istanbul of being a member of the organisation of the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen who Ankara claims was behind the coup.

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Gulen denies such a group exists and accusations he was the mastermind behind the coup.

Anadolu said a similar warrant had also been issued for Selmet Sukur, father of Hakan Sukur.

Officials in Turkey have searched two houses after issuing an arrest warrant for Hakan Sukur.

Turkey is pressing the United States to extradite the 75-year-old cleric and has purged tens of thousands of his suspected followers from the armed forces, other state institutions, the media and academia.

Sukur achieved hero status in Turkey for his role in the team that finished third in the 2002 World Cup – where he scored the fastest goal in World Cup history (10.8 seconds) against South Korea.

Sukur spent a slightly forgettable year in England during his playing career, spending the 2002/03 season at Blackburn Rovers. He was elected to parliament in 2011 but resigned from the ruling party following the government’s rift with Gulen. He had in June gone on trial in absentia on charges of insulting Erdogan on social media.

Several Turkish diplomats went on the run this week after missing a deadline to return to Ankara following the coup plot.

The family of Enes Kanter, one of the most prominent Turkish basketball players in the NBA, disowned him after he openly supported Gulen after the coup.

The post Turkey seeks arrest of ex-football star in coup probe appeared first on Punch Newspapers.

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A state of emergency, declared on 20 July, expanded government powers to issue arrest warrants and hold people in custody for up to 30 days without charge.

Turkey seeks arrest of ex-football star in coup probe