Erdo?an's answer to Zarrab question is 'Gülen'

Before Turkish President Tayyip Erdo?an took off for his official trip to the U.S. on March 29, a reporter asked what he thought about the trial of Turkish-Iranian businessman Reza Zarrab (or R?za Sarraf, according to his Turkish passport). 

"The Zarrab case doesn't concern Turkey. Mr. Zarrab's lawyers will make his defense," Erdo?an said.

Zarrab was the focus of a major corruption probe opened on Dec. 17, 2013 allegedly involving four ex-ministers of the Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) government in relation to gold-for-oil trade with internationally sanctioned Iran. Then Prime Minister Erdo?an denounced that probe and another that broke on Dec. 25, 2013, saying it was a conspiracy against his government plotted by his former close ally Fethullah Gülen, a U.S.-based Islamist ideologue. 

The cases against suspects including Zarrab were eventually dropped and all suspects were released. Today, the prosecutors and judges who opened those investigations are themselves being prosecuted or are banned from courts, accused of acting on behalf of what Erdo?an and Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu called the "Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETÖ)/Parallel State Structure (PDY)."

Speaking before flying to the U.S., Erdo?an alluded to the Gülen movement in relation to the Zarrab case. 

"We don't know whether the case involves money laundering. But as you now the parallel state structure [meaning Gülenists] has plenty of educational institutions in the U.S., including charter schools. These schools were involved in many financial improprieties. [U.S. prosecutors] should first take steps on this issue. Unfortunately, officials in the U.S., which is our friend, have not shown the slightest sensitivity on this," he said.