UPDATE - Turkey offers Kyrgyzstan support in fight against FETO

UPDATES WITH REMARKS OF KYRGYZ PRESIDENT

By Sarp Ozer, Aynur Ekiz, Tugcenur Yilmaz and Omer Faruk Yildiz

ANKARA (AA) - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday offered Kyrgyzstan help in fighting Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which Ankara holds responsible for the attempted coup on July 15, 2016.

At a joint press conference at the presidential complex in the capital Ankara alongside his visiting Kyrgyz counterpart Sooronbay Jeenbekov, Erdogan said, "Turkey will continue its fight against FETO at home and abroad until the last FETO traitor will be held to account before the law," he said.

"We will be with him [Jeenbekov] in the fight against FETO with our respective departments," he said.

Erdogan said the FETO terrorist organization also posed "a great threat to Kyrgyzstan".

The Turkish president said that FETO and its supporters had tried to derail Turkey-Kyrgyzstan relations.

"I see today’s visit of President Jeenbekov as the best answer to FETO's efforts," he said.

"I believe that Jeenbekov will be much more vigorous against FETO and take the necessary measures promptly," he added.

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

Ankara also accuses the group of a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

- Kyrgyz-Turkish relations

Jeenbekov said that the two presidents had “constructive and fruitful talks“ during the visit.

“I want to especially highlight that the development of our brotherhood and partnership relations with the brother country Turkey is the priority direction of our politics,“ he said.

"It is also our common goal to develop the level of high strategic business association forward and to achieve success in this area,“ he added.

Noting that the two countries signed some very important agreements during his visit, Jeenbekov said that the agreement in the field of social security in particular is very important for his country.