Main opposition asks parliament to investigate FETÖ’s political establishment

ANKARA

Parliamentarians attend a swearing-in ceremony at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey, June 23, 2015. (Reuters Photo)

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has called for establishing a research commission in parliament to uncover the political establishment of FETÖ, the group that orchestrated the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey.

The CHP, which said the 15 July Coup Investigation Commission established earlier in parliament was inadequate, took action to establish a new commission.

The research proposal was submitted to the speaker’s office of the Grand National Assembly under the signature of CHP Group deputy chairs Engin Altay, Özgür Özel and Engin Özkoç.

In the proposal text, the party asked parliament to “reveal the political leg of the organization at a time when criticism from different political parties rose over the suggestion that the struggle against FETÖ was diluted and FETÖ’s political leg was not fought against enough.”

The justification of the proposal said: “Turkey’s coup attempt of July 15, 2016 remains as one of the most serious incidents in the history of the Republic. It is a historical duty not to keep in the dark the organization structure of FETÖ, the perpetrator of this treacherous attack, in which hundreds of innocent civilians lost their lives and thousands were wounded, and to expose the political, commercial, military, judicial, security and all other legs.”

The proposal text recalled that the coup attempt is not the only case harming Turkey, but the court cases such as Ergenekon, Sledgehammer and others caused the Turkish army to be restructured in the interest of FETÖ members.

The text said the key police departments were administrated by the group’s members at the time.

“FETÖ had infiltrated the public top management as a network and had succeeded in employing young people, who were raised in the organization’s houses, at the most critical points of the public through university exams, public personnel recruitment exams, and similar questionable exams. The organization received very clear support from some politicians in preparation for the coup,” said the CHP proposal.