Ankara knows whereabouts of key FETÖ terrorist

ANKARA

Turkey knows the whereabouts of a key FETÖ member, Adil Öksüz, known as the civilian mastermind of the coup attempt in July 15, 2016, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said on Dec. 1.

“We know the whereabouts of Adil Öksüz,” he said, speaking to Kanal 7 television channel.

But the minister did not identify the whereabouts of Öksuz, who is among the key suspects of the failed coup.

Öksüz is a theology professor, dubbed as the “imam” of FETÖ members in the air force. He is reportedly a key profile having close contact with the U.S.-based leader of FETÖ, Fetullah Gülen, accused of masterminding the coup attempt.

“Imam” is a term used by the followers of FETÖ to mark local leadership.

An Ankara court on Nov. 21, 2017 completed a written extradition demand for Öksüz, believed to currently be in Germany, state-run Anadolu Agency earlier reported.

Öksüz was detained in the morning of July 16, 2016 near the Akıncı Air Base, used as a headquarters by coup-plotters during the attempt, only to be released by Judge Çetin Sönmez on July 18, 2016, after which he went on the run.

Earlier, media reports had suggested he had been spotted in Frankfurt and Ulm and was given a temporary residence permit by Germany’s Baden-Wurttemberg state.

Ankara had previously sent a diplomatic note to Berlin in August requesting Öksüz’s extradition.

FETÖ orchestrated the defeated coup attempt of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people killed and nearly 2,200 injured.