Kutbettin Gülen was held at the home of a relative in western Izmir province, accused of membership of a terror group
Turkish police detained a brother of the US-based preacher Fethullah Gülen, who is accused of masterminding July’s failed coup against the president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Kutbettin Gülen was held at the home of a relative in the western Izmir province after a tip-off, the state-run Anadolu news agency said. He was accused of “membership of an armed terror group”. Anadolu said he was being questioned by anti-terrorist police and books were confiscated in the raid.
Fethullah Gülen, a former Erdoğan ally who has lived in self-imposed exile in the US since 1999, is accused by Turkey of orchestrating the 15 July coup attempt – which he denies. The Turkish authorities call his group the Fethullah Terror Organisation, but supporters say he merely runs a peaceful organisation called Hizmet (Service).
Gülen is reported to have three living brothers and two sisters. Their whereabouts are not known. Two of his nephews were arrested in July and August, but this is believed to be the first time one of his brothers has been detained since the attempted coup.