Turkey brings back 80 FETÖ suspects from abroad

ISTANBUL

Turkey has so far brought back 80 Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) suspects from abroad and will continue to pursue them no matter where they are, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on April 15. 

Speaking at the Sixth Ordinary Congress of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Istanbul, Erdoğan said the FETÖ suspects would be brought back to Turkey no matter where they have escaped to and vowed to bring back United States-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, as well.

“Those FETÖ members have been fleeing to different countries across the world, but we will continue to pursue them. We have already brought 80 FETÖ members back to Turkey from abroad,” Erdoğan said.

At the end of March, the Turkish National Intelligence Agency (MİT) brought six FETÖ suspects from Kosovo back to Turkey in an intelligence agency operation.

Earlier this month, MİT also brought three members of FETÖ from the Central African country Gabon to the Turkish capital Ankara and Erdoğan vowed on April 7 that Turkey would “continue to pursue suspects” abroad.

The Gülen network, led by Gülen, is widely believed to have been behind Turkey’s July 2016 coup attempt.