FETO fugitives abroad will be stateless: Turkish deputy

By Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA (AA) - Fugitive members of FETO, the terrorist group behind last year’s defeated coup in Turkey, seeking safety abroad will later find themselves stateless, predicted a leading Turkish parliamentarian on Thursday.

"The FETO traitors who think that there are free abroad will be faced with the harsh reality of being stateless," Fatma Benli, the deputy chair of the parliament's Human Rights Committee, told Anadolu Agency.

Benli also spoke on following the numerous cases against suspected Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) members making their way through the Turkish courts.

Orchestrated by FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen, the July 15, 2016 coup attempt left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Turkey 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.

Benli stressed the importance of Turkey's fight against FETO, saying: "Turkey is actually protecting the region and the world from these organizations while fighting the PKK, Daesh, and FETO."

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU and U.S. -- has killed more than 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including women and children, since it resumed attacks over two years ago.

Benli added: "The states backing Turkey in this fight are actually providing for their own security."

Benli also urged states to stop supporting FETO members in their countries and called on European countries and the U.S. to carry out a joint fight against FETO.

Benli warned that some countries’ decisions to harbor the FETO traitors will come back to bite them: "The states which are backing FETO should see that those who have betrayed their own country one day will also betray them."

Ankara has been seeking the extradition of FETO leader Fetullah Gulen from the U.S. since last year’s attempted coup. Turkey has also requested that Germany return FETO suspects who have sought asylum there.