Turkey urges world to take FETO threat seriously

By Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA

The Turkish Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee has urged countries around the world to take the Fetullah Terrorist Organization's (FETO) threat seriously as Turkey marks the first anniversary of the deadly July 15 defeated coup.

In a letter sent to foreign affairs committees of parliaments worldover where Turkey has a representative office, the Turkish committee’s chairman Taha Ozhan warned his foreign counterparts to not believe that FETO is a threat just for Turkey.

"I sincerely bring our unpleasant experience to the attention of my colleagues for we do not desire this gruesome expression to be uttered in other countries while their people and elective officials are being targeted by such an organization," Ozhan said in the letter, which was issued to the press on Saturday on the first year anniversary of the coup bud.

He said FETO members' failure in Turkey does not entail their failure in other countries.

The letter called for supporting the Turkish people and the state in its fight against FETO.

"I would like to renew my hope of building a peaceful, just, democratic and moral world that is devoid of all kinds of terrorism together," he said.

The letter described FETO as "the new age terrorist organization," and reminded that FETO members coordinated operations in 173 countries, which poses a clear threat to the whole world.

"Following the July 15 coup attempt, more than 20 countries heeded the call of Turkey and showed their support to this just cause by closing down FETO schools within their jurisdictions and transferring the administration of the school to Turkey with the aim of barring the terrorist organization from the human and financial resources."

Ozhan said many countries remained unaware of the danger. "They are yet to thoroughly analyze the political psychology of the terrorist organization and uncover their insidiousness through investigative journalism," he said.

Turkey survived a deadly coup attempt on July 15 of last year that martyred 250 people and injured nearly 2,200 others; FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup.

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.