‘Gulen terror group has infiltrated India’

Fethullah Gulen Terrorist Organisation (FETO), blamed by Turkey for the last month’s failed coup to topple President Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey, has “infiltrated” India, according to Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. Asserting that FETO is a “secretive transnational criminal network” with presence around the world, Mr Cavusoglu said, “Unfortunately, FETO has also infiltrated India through associations and schools.”

In an interview to news agency PTI after holding talks with his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj, the Turkish foreign minister also said, “I have already taken up this issue with my counterpart.”

The visiting minister said, “In all countries where FETO has a presence, we ask them to take immediate actions to remove them from their territories.”

Asked for a response to the minister’s comments, external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup was quoted as saying that the Indian side is “sensitive” to Turkish concerns and Indian security agencies were “looking into” Ankara’s demand for closure of associations connected with FETO which were carrying out illegal activities.

Asserting that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitute a threat to India and Turkey, Mr Cavusoglu said, “Therefore, exchange of information regarding these threats and bilateral and multilateral cooperation and solidarity against terrorism is crucial.”

“This is what both Turkey and India are focused on,” he said. Talking about the last month’s coup attempt, the visiting dignitary said that a clandestine faction led by FETO within the Turkish Army attempted to stage a coup on July 15 to overthrow the democratically-elected government.

“We appreciate the prompt support to our democratically-elected government by my Indian counterpart, external affairs minister Swaraj,” Mr Cavusoglu added.

According to news agency reports earlier, Turkish consul-general Erdal Sabri Ergen in Mumbai had said that his country has requested the Union government and Maharashtra state government that all institutions in Mumbai and elsewhere, connected with this network be closed.

“The institutions connected with the network are (there) in Mumbai. Our ambassador has informed Indian authorities,” he was quoted by news agencies as saying.

More than 240 people died and over 1,500 others were injured as a fallout of the failed coup. President Erdogan had blamed US-based cleric Gulen for the attempted coup last month. Gulen currently lives in self-imposed exile in the US.

Turkish foreign minister Cavusoglu had last week met external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and raised the alleged role of Fethullah Gulen and the FETO in the recent attempted coup in Turkey, sources said. According to reports, Turkey suspects that there are some educational institutions funded by Gulen that are functioning into it and had earlier reportedly raised the matter with India. New Delhi had said last week that it was looking into the matter.