Turkish VP warns world against FETÖ

GENEVA- Anadolu Agency

Turkey's vice president on June 10 warned the international community against the deceptive victimization campaign by FETÖ, the group behind a defeated 2016 coup in Turkey.       

 “The perception of victimization and image which FETÖ terrorists try to create is very deceptive,” Fuat Oktay told a high-level session at an International Labor Organization (ILO) summit in Geneva.       

Oktay said some structures tied to FETÖ established themselves as trade and civil servant unions before the “heinous coup attempt.”       

“In order to fight this, it is very crucial to know the working methods of this criminal organization, which tried to overthrow the elected government and president and the constitutional order in Turkey and left behind 251 innocent citizens killed, and wounded more than 2,000,” he explained.       

Oktay said the closure of such institutions “should not be allowed to be used to exploit Turkey on international platforms.”       

He also called on the international community to approach “impartially” the termination of labor contracts of FETÖ members who have infiltrated public institutions.       

"Judicial processes continue in the independent and impartial judiciary, and international institutions should respect its decisions,” he said.       

FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gülen orchestrated the deadly, defeated coup of July 15, 2016.       

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

Arrest warrants out for 56 

In the meantime, Turkish prosecutors issued arrest warrants for 56 people with suspected links to FETÖ.

Prosecutors in Turkey's southern province of Adana issued the warrants as part of a probe of the new training structure of FETÖ, according to sources who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.       

Turkish security forces raided six private education institutions in the city- allegedly opened as an alternative to the closed institutions managed by the organization.       

Out of the 56 suspects, 25 people, including women, were detained within the scope of the operation.