'Turkey not to let illegal groups operate in judiciary'

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA

Turkey will not allow polarization, factions and illegal groups to operate in the country’s institutions, including judiciary, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a ceremony of judges and prosecutors’ appointments at Bestepe Congress Center in the capital Ankara, Erdogan said Turkey continues to remove extensions of Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) within the institutions, including judiciary.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen are accused of orchestrating the defeated coup of July 15, 2016 which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

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.

Erdogan said Turkey needs judges, prosecutors and judicial personnel who carry out their duties under the command of the law.

He also criticized the U.S. government's recent "unfair" stance against Turkey, saying: "This country not only protects the ringleader and members of the [FETO] terrorist organization, which has blood of our nation in its hand, but also strengthens other terrorist organization along our border."

Turkey has long complained of U.S. slowness in responding to its request for Gulen’s extradition.