Over 100 FETO members brought back to Turkey: Cavusoglu

By Dildar Baykan

ANKARA (AA) - More than 100 members of Fetullah Terrorist Organization, the group behind the July 15, 2016 defeated coup, have been brought back to Turkey, the country’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

"We have been watching these traitors for two years and have brought the leading figures of FETO to our country. Some of these were covered by press while some others weren't at the request of some countries. I could frankly say that more than 100 of FETO affiliates have been brought to Turkey," Cavusoglu said in an interview with the CNN Turk on Sunday evening.

On Sunday, Turkey marked the second anniversary of the defeated coup, orchestrated by the FETO, that left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 others injured.

Cavusoglu said that the coup attempt would never be forgotten and the traitors would pay for what they did no matter where they are.

- FBI’s investigation into FETO

Lamenting that Europe hadn't done enough against FETO, the minister said: "We have witnessed some mobility in the U.S. over the past 5-6 months. We find the investigations, particularly those launched by FBI, meaningful but we expect them to be real and conclusive. We have conveyed this to the secretary of the state [Mike Pompeo].”

Cavusoglu says that the U.S. distracts Turkey (regarding FETO) by simply spending time on irrelevant things, they don't focus on the major points of FETO investigation.

"We have told [the U.S. officials] that the evidence provided were real and they were in accordance with the international law and related agreements. We expressed that we wanted the extradition of FETO chief. Our president, during the NATO summit, shared this with Trump. We follow the process," he said.

"FETO is a shady organization, it is a terror group which has a network that spread to more than 360 countries," he said, noting that Germany and Africa realized how dark this organization was.

Emphasizing that Turkey had provided numerous evidence to the U.S, the minister said: "With the working group, the period of postponement and distraction is over," he said.

"In fact, the U.S. itself knows, better than anyone, to whom a man in their country talks and what he does [referring to Fetullah Gulen, the head of FETO terror group]. In addition, those who coordinated the coup attempt on behalf of FETO confessed at the U.S. airport that they were going to FETO’s place in Pennsylvania [Where Gulen has resided since 1999]. Now, the U.S. needs to fulfill our demands, not to find any other excuses," he asserted.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016 in Turkey, 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.

*Ali Murat Alhas contributed to this story from Ankara