FETO institute raises funds for members in Greece

By Islam Dogru

NEW YORK (AA) - The Peace Islands Institute in New York, linked to Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), has launched a fundraising campaign to help members who fled to Greece from Turkey.

The campaign started on Dec. 9 with the goal of collecting $15.000. So far, $12,064 has been collected, according to FETO-affiliated Embrace Relief website.

The nearly two-month campaign, however, failed to collect the funds as FETO members sought support through emails attached with pictures drawn by children of FETO fugitives praising Greece.

"In these pictures, the sun is always shining on the Greece side," the Institute said in the foreword of the pictures emailed.

Several pictures were drawn to carry out propaganda against Turkey.

Peace Islands Institute is an important branche of FETO in the United States. Inspired by FETO's Interfaith Dialog Center, it was founded in 2003 in New Jersey.

Ahmet Kurucan, a relative of Gulen, is a member of advisory board of the institute along with several U.S. rabbis and clergymen.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader, Fetullah Gulen, orchestrated 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.

Nationwide operations have been carried out following the defeated coup against FETO members who were issued arrest warrants. Many fled the country, in particular for Greece -- a gateway to Europe.

*Servet Gunerigok in Washington contributed to the story