FETÖ no different than Daesh, PKK, president says

PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday said that Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) was not any different from other terrorist organizations like Daesh, the PKK and their offshoots in the Middle East, as he criticized some states that allow terrorist groups' activates within their borders.

“Today, a group of people is supporting the spread of FETÖ lies because of their enmity against me, the AK Party [Justice and Development Party], and our country [Turkey]. The terror group continues its activities at full speed in the U.S. and many other parts of the world. I request you to fight these types of entities that pose a threat to the um- mah [Muslim community] and the future of humanity. Everyone must understand that there is no difference between FETÖ, Daesh, and the PKK,” said Erdoğan speaking at a dinner program organized by the Turken Foundation in New York.

Pointing to the FETÖ members’ wide network in the U.S., Erdoğan said that they were involved in fraudulent activities in the country.

“We all know that the profiteering through charter schools is only the tip of the iceberg. Our American allies are yet to understand the issue or they do not want to understand it. We see the thievery going on at these schools is being exposed slowly. It is also being widely discussed by the press and the public. I believe that our American allies will see the true face of this group sooner or later,” he added.

Erdoğan said that Turkey will step back in its fight against FETÖ, adding that Ankara will work to ensure that the crimes against the people of Turkey are dealt with in accordance with the rule of law. He added that Turkey, as well as its allies, will continue to take steps against FETÖ and its members.”

“Unfortunately, we also know that some of our allies are using this group to Turkey’s disadvantage,” the president added.

FETÖ, led by its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gülen, orchestrated last year’s July 15 coup attempt against the Turkish state in an attempt to overthrow its elected government and take control of the state institutions. The attempt killed 249 innocent people and injured more than 2,000.

Turkey has since taken measures to identify and dismiss the group’s members and infiltrators within state institutions.

Ankara has also criticized its Western allies for their lack of support in the wake of the coup attempt and has also taken concrete measures to stop FETÖ’s activities within its borders.

The Turkish authorities have demanded that Washington extradite Gülen from the U.S. where he has lived in a self-imposed exile since 1999. However, the U.S. is yet to take any significant steps to meet Ankara’s demands on the issue.