Thai gov't says asked to probe Gulen ties in Kingdom

By CS Thana

BANGKOK

Turkey's embassy in Bangkok has asked the Thai government to investigate businesses operating in the country with ties to Fetullah Gulen's organizations, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official says.

The high ranking official, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the request, told Anadolu Agency by phone Thursday that the Turkish embassy has reached out to several ministry officials over "Gulenist elements" it says are operating legally within Thailand.

The Bangkok Post reported Wednesday that Turkey's ambassador to Thailand, Osman Bulent Tulun, had told various media groups that the Thai Turkish Business Association (TTBA) had links to Gulen, who, according to the Turkish government, masterminds a terrorist network responsible for the July 15 attempted coup.

"They [the TTBA] don't represent Turkey, nor business people in Turkey," Tulun said.

According to the ministry official, Thailand will carry out all processes in accordance with the law and if the TTBA were found operating in support of a terrorist network then legal action would be taken.

Around 700 Turkish expatriates currently live in Thailand.

The request is the second such reported to have been made to a Southeast Asian country since the July coup effort.

On July 19, Thailand's neighbor Cambodia said it was awaiting a formal request to close down several "Zaman schools" in the country's capital Phnom Penh after Turkey's local ambassador accused them of affiliation with FETO.

There are three Zaman school campuses in Cambodia as well as a university serving more than 2,000 students.

Ankara accuses the Fetullah Terrorist Group (FETO) of orchestrating the coup attempt in which FETO-linked military personnel attempted -- unsuccessfully -- to overthrow Turkey’s elected government.

At least 246 people, including civilians and security personnel, were martyred -- and more than 2,100 injured -- during the illegal putsch attempt.

Gulen and his followers are also accused of attempting to infiltrate Turkey’s vital state institutions -- especially the military, police apparatus and judiciary -- with the ultimate aim of creating a parallel state.