Turkey issues arrest warrant for ex-soccer star

Turkey has issued an arrest warrant for its most celebrated football player, former worldwide striker Hakan Sukur, ordering the seizure of his assets as part of an investigation into last month’s failed coup, state media says.

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.

The warrant accuses the 44-year-old of “being a member of an armed terror group”, the state-run Andalou news agency said. Gulen, who runs a network of worldwide charities and schools from self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, has denied any knowledge or involvement in the coup.

Sukur and his family are understood to have left Turkey for the United States previous year and on Friday Turkish media reported that the regional prosecutor’s office had issued an order to seize his assets, while his father Selmet Sukur was detained during Friday prayers. Turkish media reports said an Interpol Red Notice would be requested for his extradition.

Sukur was one of the stars of Turkey’ s third place performance in the 2002 World Cup and a household name in the football-mad country. He also scored 332 goals in a club career that took in Inter Milan, Galatasaray, Blackburn Rovers, Torino and Parma. His goal after 11 seconds against South Korea remains to be the fastest goal in World Cup history.

In 2011, three years after retiring from global football, Sukur became an MP in Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party. Sukur resigned from his post as part of Erdogan’s party in 2013, and instead opted to side with Gulen at the time.

Hakan Sukur, lives in the United States and is among some 350 people being sought by the Turkish authorities. He was put up for trial in abesntia for criticising Erdogan on social media in June.

He is not the only Turkish sports star caught up in the controversy after the coup bid. National Basketball Association player Enes Kanter was disowned by his family earlier this month for being a Gulenist, while almost 100 officials and referees from the country’s football federation have been forced to resign or jailed.

The center for the Oklahoma City Thunder NBA basketball team, Enes Kanter, recently announced he had changed his surname to Gulen to show support for the reclusive philosopher.