Wanted Turkish Cleric Wooed Country’s Sports Stars – Wall Street Journal

ISTANBUL—For nearly four years, Said Alpsoy recruited dozens of Turkey’s top soccer stars into the network of supporters of the reclusive Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen.

Mr. Alpsoy spent hours counseling rising stars in Turkey’s most popular sport, many from poor families, on how Mr. Gulen’s teachings could help them stay grounded and cope with the lures of fame. In return, they donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the…