Fethullah Gulen, accused by the Turkish government of masterminding a failed military coup. (Photo: Reuters/Greg Savoy)

ISTANBUL (Hurriyet Daily News) — An Istanbul court has issued a warrant for Fethullah Gülen, the founder and leader of what Turkey calls the “Fethullahist Terror Organization,” on charges of ordering the July 15 failed coup attempt in Turkey.

Upon a demand by Istanbul prosecutor Can Tuncay, Istanbul First Court of Peace ruled for the arrest of Gülen, the first warrant issued against the U.S.-based Islamic scholar concerning the July 15 attempt.

The ruling said Gülen organization, which infiltrated the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in major cities like Istanbul and Ankara, aimed to take over all the state’s institutions and security bodies by changing the constitution. It also clearly asserted that the organization, which aimed to become a large and effective political and economic power at the international level, carried out the coup attempt with a group of allegiant soldiers and meanwhile committed multiple crimes.

Describing the illegal actions which took place during the attempt, the ruling said a probe was launched into Gülen on the legal grounds that “organization executives are sentenced as perpetrators due to all crimes committed within the frame of organization’s activities” and that “there was no doubt that the coup attempt was the action of the organization and it was carried out by its founder suspect Fethullah Gülen.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has dismissed the possible threat of more action on August 14 by the “Fethullahist Terrorist Organization,” which, according to Erdoğan, perpetrated the July 15 failed coup attempt.

“They didn’t draw lessons from what happened. They are trying to threaten the people. They are saying, ‘Wait for August 14,’” said Erdoğan, adding that “shamefulness is a character issue.”

“We are not cowardly, we are brave. Shamefulness is a character issue. It doesn’t know any time or space boundaries. If your character has become dirty, then you can express your treason 365 days a year,” he said.

“The people had showed the group a lesson,” Erdoğan said, adding that precautions would continue to be taken.

“Every step that they take brings them down to the cesspool that they are in and will continue to do so. Our people gave them a lesson. It doesn’t matter now what they do or say. We will definitely continue to take our precautions,” he said.

During his speech, Erdoğan said there was no reason to stand on the side of the “treason network.”

“The one in Pennsylvania is not the superior mind. His mind doesn’t work as much. The superior mind is something different,” he said, referring to Gülen, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania.

“Every school, every private education institution belonging to this [Gülen] movement is a terror nest. These people are murderers, liars, robbers, hijackers, traitors and tools. They are sneaky and they sin openly,” he said.