An Istanbul court on Friday issued an arrest warrant for a Turkish cleric living in exile in the United States who has emerged as an arch foe of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, state media reported.

Fethullah Gulen -- who leads a broad-based Muslim group known as Hizmet (Service) and has lived in the United States since 1999 -- is accused of "leading a terrorist organisation," according to state-run TRT television.