By ADAM SCHRADER and RICH SCHAPIRO
Published in The New York Daily News on July 16, 2016

By the Turkish government’s telling, the foiled coup attempt that threw the country into chaos was set in motion in the unlikeliest of places — a secluded compound in the Poconos.

Living deep in the Pennsylvania woods is Fathullah Gulen, a reclusive Muslim cleric who leads a movement that has become deeply critical of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

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Erdogan called on the U.S. Saturday to arrest and extradite the 77-year-old Gulen — declaring him a terrorist.

Living deep in the Pennsylvania woods is Fathullah Gulen, a reclusive Muslim cleric who leads a movement that has become deeply critical of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

But Gulen, in an hour-long interview with reporters at his sprawling estate in Saylorsburg, insisted Saturday he had nothing to do with the foiled attempt to overthrow Erdogan.

“Since I do not know these people I cannot speak to their potential involvement in the attack,” Gulen said through an interpreter.

A man throws himself in front of a tank at the entrance to Istanbul’s Ataturk airport early Saturday morning, July 16, 2016. Members of Turkey’s armed forces said they had taken control of the country.

“I have been away from Turkey for more than 16 years. I have not been following the developments.”

Secretary of State John Kerry said the U.S. would entertain an extradition request for Gulen.

“We fully anticipate that there will be questions raised about Mr. Gulen,” Kerry said while visiting Luxembourg. “And obviously, we invite the government of Turkey, as we always do, to present us with any legitimate evidence that withstands scrutiny.”

Gulen was once a close ally of Erdogan. But the pair fell out in 2013 when prosecutors believed to be Gulen followers launched a corruption probe that targeted Erdogan’s allies.

Gulen, whose Hizmet movement includes think tanks and schools, is said to hold sway over some military personnel, judges and mid-level bureaucrats.

The cleric has been in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since emigrating to the U.S. in 1999. He’s suffering from heart disease and diabetes and is rarely seen outside of the Golden Generation Worship & Retreat Center’s 26-acre spread.

Speaking Saturday in soft measured tones, Gulen made it clear he’s no fan of Erdogan.

“I’m not sure President Erdogan would accept my message, even if I were to send him the best of the best message,” he said. “He would probably consider it a slur and reject it. This is obvious from the fact that even before the details of the coup attempt surfaced, he began accusing me of being behind the coup.”

 

By ADAM SCHRADER, RYAN SIT and GINGER ADAMS OTIS
Published in The New York Daily News on Aug. 29, 2016

The family of Aissatou Diallo gathered at her Staten Island home to mourn her tragic death Monday when she was knocked off the Brooklyn Expressway.

The 49-year-old mother was standing near a family member’s broken-down car when Vladimir Menin, 43, smashed into another car that careened into her — and sent her flying off the elevated highway.

Cops charged Menin — who witnesses said tried to flee on foot — with drunken driving as well as manslaughter and vehicular homicide.

Diallo’s son, Abdouile, 16, chased Menin and held him until cops arrived.

“I was so angry. My first intent was to throw him over. But then I remembered I’m not a barbarian. My mom wouldn’t have wanted that,” the heartbroken teen said.

Aissatou Diallo had stopped to help another relative with a flat tire, Abdouile said.

The family was coming from a big wedding and stopped about 2:50 a.m. to help his aunt with her stricken car, the teen said.

Police said Menin was in a 2011 BMW and traveling westbound on the BQE, when he struck Aissatou Diallo’s car from behind — causing it to crash into her.

Abdouile, who still had a hospital bracelet on his wrist after he was taken there to get glass removed from his back, said Menin was barely coherent at the scene.

“This guy was really drunk. His words were complete gibberish,” he said.

Her mother was killed by a drunk driver as they stopped to help fix her aunt’s flat tire on their way home from a wedding. Read the story tomorrow in the New York Daily News.

A photo posted by Adam Schrader (@schrader_adam) on Aug 29, 2016 at 2:42pm PDT

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Aissatou Diallo’s husband, Amadou Diallo, 54, was surrounded by as many as 50 relatives at his Staten Island home as he tried to come to grips with what happened.

“I need all their support right now,” said the immigrant from Guinea.

“I’m hoping life will continue. I’ll continue to do my best take care of our children,” he said.

Aissatou Diallo’s oldest son, Alpha, 18, was asleep when he got the news of the tragedy.

Alpha, a college student, said he will honor his mother’s memory by getting the best education he can.

“She always told me since I was 5 years old walking into elementary school that school is always first,” he said.

“Right now she’d want me in school but I took a little break for her today. Wednesday, I’m going to continue on. School. School. School,” he said.