Turkey repeats FETÖ extradition request to Cambodia

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

Turkey on Oct. 2 repeated its extradition request for three suspected FETÖ members from Cambodia.

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu at a joint news conference with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, said: “We have repeated our extradition request to Cambodia on the issue of three high profile FETÖ members.”

“This terror group is a threat not only for Turkey, but every country it operates in.”

Turkey’s top diplomat said FETÖ “infiltrates in state institutions by using charter schools as cover-up, then tries to control the politics in that country”.

Çavuşoğlu said he talked about the operations of FETÖ with his Cambodian counterpart and said Turkey is ready to take over FETÖ-controlled schools with Turkey’s Maarif Foundation.

FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fethullah Gülen are widely believed to have orchestrated the failed coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people killed and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

Çavuşoğlu also stressed on the need to strengthen bilateral relations between Turkey and Cambodia, saying that the third meeting of the Joint Economic Comission (JEC) will be held in the coming days.

Sokhonn said his country is “in a close cooperation with Turkey” over FETÖ.

“As a friend of Turkey, Cambodia will continue to support Turkey in its operations against FETÖ,” he said.

Sokhonn added that Prime Minister Hun Sen will visit Turkey at the end of October.

He said the opening of Turkey’s embassy in Phnom Penh in 2013 “activated” the relations.

“Cambodia will also open an embassy in Ankara next year,” he said.