July 15 coup attempt ad in Washington Post calls for Gülen’s extradition

WASHINGTON

A leading Turkish-American non-governmental organization has run an advertisement in the U.S. daily Washington Post warning Americans about the Gülen network, which Turkish authorities refer to as the Fetullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ).

n the full-page advertisement, the Turkish-American National Steering Committee (TASC) recalled the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016, widely believed to have been orchestrated by FETÖ, and urged the U.S. to extradite its Pennsylvania-based leader Fetullah Gülen to Turkey.

The TASC recalled that the coup plotters bombed highways, bridges and the Turkish counterparts of the American Congress, the White House, Pentagon, FBI and the office of the directorate of national intelligence on July 15, 2016.

Likening Gülen to Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, who was sentenced to life in prison in the U.S. for plotting and inspiring his followers to bomb the World Trade Center in 1993, TASC said: “Each passing day that the United States delays the extradition of Fethullah Gülen to Turkey, the people of Turkey are denied justice from the horrors they suffered on July 15, 2016.”

Since the coup attempt, Turkey has sought Gülen’s extradition from the U.S., saying the U.S. is not moving fast enough.

TASC’s advertisement also said FETÖ was involved in criminal activities in the U.S., including immigration fraud, money laundering, blackmailing, forgery of documents, exploitation of the education system through charter schools, unfair labor practices and deceiving local and federal authorities.

“Today we remember and honor those who lost their lives and who were wounded two years ago and urge the United States to prosecute and extradite FETÖ leader Fetullah Gülen to Turkey without further delay,” it added.