Cleric Fethullah says Erdogan behind Turkey coup, willing to be extradited

Ankara: US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whose followers Turkey blames for a failed coup, said on Sunday that he would obey any extradition ruling from the United States but said that President Tayyip Erdogan had staged the putsch.

"I am not really worried about the extradition request," Gulen told reporters, speaking through a translator in Pennsylvania where he lives.

Read: Turkey coup attempt: Rebel F-16 jets had Erdogan’s plane in sight

Turkey has said it is putting together an extradition request for the cleric. The US government has said it would consider any formal request.

Trained as an imam, or prayer leader, Fethullah Gulen gained notice in Turkey some 50 years ago, promoting a philosophy that blended a mystical form of Islam with staunch advocacy of democracy, education, science and interfaith dialogue. Supporters started 1,000 schools in more than 100 countries, including about 150 taxpayer-funded charter schools throughout the US In Turkey, they have run universities, hospitals, charities, a bank and a large media empire with newspapers and radio and TV stations.

Turkish President Recip Tayyip Erdogan has long accused Gulen of plotting to overthrow the officially secular government from a gated 26-acre compound in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains. Gulen is rarely seen in public and has been put on trial in absentia at least three times.