By Islam Dogru and Ertugrul Cingil
NEW YORK (AA) - Pennsylvania natives living near the U.S.-based leader of FETO, the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey, complain that the terror group head dominates local politics, making things easy for himself, while ordinary people suffer.
“If you have a close relationship with Fetullah Gulen, you can easily get a [building] permit. If you aren’t, you’ll have a hard time getting it because Fetullah Gulen is controlling the town’s administration,” says John Favere, a resident of nearby Wind Gap.
Fetullah Gulen, leader of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and a fugitive from Turkish justice, has lived in the U.S. for decades.
"This is unjust to people just trying to survive in hard conditions every day," added Favere.
Favere said Howard A. Beers, a local contractor and supervisor of Ross Township -- including Saylorsburg, where Gulen lives -- who he met at Golden Generation, FETO’s mansion complex in Pennsylvania, “has a huge impact on Gulen. He built many buildings at Golden Generation."
Beers, the owner of Howard A. Beers Inc., built and renovated many buildings at FETO’s mansion in Pennsylvania over the last decade.
"Now he has a million-dollar fortune," said Favere.
“FETO is taking control of town by buying land. And here’s the main point: What is FETO doing to America and its politicians, what do they pay them? Where is this money coming from to control our leaders?” he asked.
-Coup attempt and fugitive
In July 2016, FETO and Gulen orchestrated a defeated coup in Turkey which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.
Since the coup attempt, Turkey has sought Gulen's extradition from the U.S., and complained that the U.S. is not moving fast enough.
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.
FETO also has a considerable presence outside Turkey, including private educational institutions that serve as a revenue stream for the terrorist group, including in the U.S.
-'They do whatever they want'
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, David Bonser, 72, the owner of the local Kostonbador farm, said: “If I want to do something in this town, I need a permit and engineers from the local government. The local Planning Department also has to be involved in the process."
But, Bonser said, things are different for FETO: “Without a permit, they do whatever they want."
“If I did what they did, I'm sure the government would punish me,” he added.
About Beers, who is known as a close friend and defender of FETO in Pennsylvania, Bonser said: "He built many buildings at FETO's Golden Generation mansion."
He added: "He [Howard Beers] says he’s a Christian and he goes to the church, but he hangs out with the Muslims [at the FETO camp] because he makes a lot of money."
Anadolu Agency approached Beers near FETO's mansion complex where he declined to respond to any questions regarding the claims.
FETO ringleader Gulen has been living in Pennsylvania since 1999.
Ross Township, one of 16 municipalities in Pennsylvania's Monroe county, has a population of about 5,500.
These townships are governed by supervisors who are elected to six-year terms, and their responsibilities include zoning, sanitation, building permits, and land ownership records.