Erdogan: Gulen movement threatens other countries

By Azernews

By Gunay Hasanova

The terrorist organization of Gulen is a security threat not only for Turkey but also for those countries where the supporters of this movement exist, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the 71st session of the UN General Assembly, Anadolu Agency reported.

In turn, Turkey’s Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag who is accompanying President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on a visit to New York for the annual UN General Assembly meetings said that U.S. Vice President Joe Biden admitted that Ankara provided "concrete evidence" about terror leader Fethullah Gulen being the mastermind of a recent coup attempt in Turkey.

"We have enough information, documents and proof that shows Fethullah Gulen is the leader of this terror group that had tried to make a coup," Bozdag said, referring to the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) that Ankara implicates in the coup attempt.

"Mr. Biden also accepted and stated that there was concrete evidence," Bozdag added.

Bozdag said Turkey expects the U.S. to take the necessary "second step" and temporarily arrest Gulen.

"We hope that it won't be delayed and happen on a short notice. We requested a temporary arrest of Gulen because of the July 15 coup bid and him being the mastermind behind this. He is a terrorist that conducted this coup bid from Pennsylvania,” he said.

Ankara maintains that the overthrow attempt was organized by followers of Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the state of Pennsylvania since 1999, and his FETO terror group.

Gulen is also accused of leading a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as the parallel state.

A group of servicemen made an attempt for a military coup in Turkey on July 15. However, the rebelling servicemen started to surrender July 16 and Turkish authorities stated on a failure of the attempt for the military coup.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the death toll as a result of the military coup attempt stood at 246 people excluding the coup plotters and over 2,000 people were wounded.

Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency in Turkey on July 20.