July 15 'new generation act of terror,' Erdogan says

ANKARA (AA) - July 15 coup attempt was a "new generation act of terror," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday.

"We see that terrorism has changed form," he said as he addressed the International Conference on Science and Technology held in capital Ankara.

The president said the foiled coup "attempted by a group of terrorists disguised in military uniform" was the "culmination" of the attacks carried out over the years by the members of Fetullah Terrorist Organization, or FETO, who he said "infiltrated into various state organs."

Erdogan reiterated that FETO posed a security threat to all countries where it was present under various guises, and called on the whole world to be alert to similar acts of terror.

Turkey accuses FETO, which is led by Fetullah Gulen, of organizing the defeated coup as well as a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.

The country has repeatedly asked the U.S. to extradite Fetullah Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999.

Erdogan said Turkey had so far sent 85 boxes of files to the U.S. following their demand.

However, he criticized that the U.S. was still asking for more to extradite Gulen, who he said "has been reigning on a 400,000-square meter land for the past 17 years," referring to Gulen's Pennsylvania mansion.

Turning to efforts in science and technology, Erdogan said investment in these areas had increased in the past 14 years.

Science and technology are among our priorities, he said, and pointed out the country's 2023 goals -- a year which will mark the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey and set as a deadline for many financial, political and social objectives.

Creating at least ten global brands and attaining $500 billion worth of exports is among those goals, Erdogan said.

The share of medium and high tech products in exports should be doubled to reach over 50 percent, he noted.