FETÖ camp pictured from helicopter in Pennsylvania
Surveillance cameras at the entrance of Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) leader Fetullah Gulen’s gated compound in Pennsylvania were out of service during an "armed incident" Wednesday, said a security guard, casting doubt over its validity.
Earlier in the day, police investigated an incident involving an "armed man" outside the compound, which is located in Saylorsburg.
After the reported incident, Anadolu Agency spoke to a guard, Austin Davos, who said he has been working at the compound for three years.
Davos declined to comment on the suspect’s physical appearance but said two cameras monitoring the suspect’s alleged location were not working when an Anadolu Agency correspondent pointed out that the cameras must have filmed him.
Davos said one camera has been out of service for a long time and the other broke down on Tuesday.
Other guards at the compound referred the correspondent to the police when they were also asked to describe the suspect’s appearance.
The failure of the cameras at the compound, which is under maximum security, cast doubt over how the "armed incident" took place.
Although the security guards claimed the suspect was armed, a police public information release report did not include any statement that the suspect had a gun.
It said an "unknown Caucasian wearing all dark clothing" was involved in the incident.
The police responded to a report of a weapon being discharged at the compound, the release said, adding: "The security personnel discharged a weapon near the location of an unwanted person outside the security gate. The unidentified person fled the scene."
Following the incident, a FETÖ-linked NGO called Alliance for Shared Values claimed the suspect "attempted to enter" the compound, whereas the security guards said the suspect was standing outside the security gate, according to the police release.
In addition, Emrullah Polat, a senior FETÖ member at the compound, was filmed while hastily leaving the premises.
FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader, Fetullah Gulen, allegedly orchestrated a defeated coup which martyred 251 people and injured nearly 2,200 others in July 2016.
Gulen has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999.
An Istanbul court of appeal on Tuesday upheld aggravated life sentences of six suspects over links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey, a judicial source said. Nazli Ilicak, Ahmet Altan, Mehmet Altan, Fevzi Yazici, Yakup Simsek and Sukru Tugrul Ozsengul were convicted for attempting to overthrow the constitutional order, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on talking to the media.They had appealed to the high court for their release, but Istanbul’s 2nd Appeal Court upheld their sentence, the source added.In late June, columnist and academic Mehmet Altan was released under judicial control upon his appeal to the penal department of Istanbul’s regional court of justice.FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016 that martyred 250 people and injured nearly 2,200 others.Ankara accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.Turkey repeats FETÖ extradition request to Cambodia
Turkish court upholds life terms of six FETÖ suspects
Turkey on Tuesday repeated its extradition request for three Fetullah Terrorist Organisation (FETÖ) members from Cambodia.Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu at a joint news conference with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, said: "We have repeated our extradition request to Cambodia on the issue of three high profile FETÖ members.""This terror group is a threat not only for Turkey, but every country it operates in."Turkey's top diplomat said FETÖ "infiltrates in state institutions by using charter schools as cover-up, then tries to control the politics in that country".Çavuşoğlu said he talked about the operations of FETÖ terror group with his Cambodian counterpart and said Turkey is ready to take over FETÖ-controlled schools with Turkey's Maarif Foundation.FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.Ankara also accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.Çavuşoğlu also stressed on the need to strengthen bilateral relations between Turkey and Cambodia, saying that the third meeting of the Joint Economic Comission (JEC) will be held in the coming days.Sokhonn said his country is "in a close cooperation with Turkey" over FETÖ."As a friend of Turkey, Cambodia will continue to support Turkey in its operations against FETÖ," he said.Sokhonn added that Prime Minister Hun Sen will visit Turkey at the end of October.He said the opening of Turkey's embassy in Phnom Penh in 2013 "activated" the relations."Cambodia will also open an embassy in Ankara next year," he said.FETÖ pretends to collect aid money in EthiopiaTime to clear YPG terrorists from Syria's Manbij and leave city to civilians: FMTurkey arrests three of 37 FETÖ-linked suspectsMHP head urges Germany to see FETÖ as terrorist
Turkey repeats FETÖ extradition request to Cambodia
Former staff of schools owned by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) revealed how they deceived the people of Turkey once more by collecting fake aid money and using tax exemptions in Ethiopia.The schools working for the terrorist group behind the 2016 coup attempt in Turkey created a diversion by making up Ethiopian names and collecting fake signatures to make it seem that the aid was distributes to those in need, according to former staff who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security reasons.Last week, a complaint was filed against the administration and teachers of the FETO school, as well as members of the terror group, over charges including "stealing aid money, embezzlement, and tax evasion".A large stack of documents and evidence were submitted to the prosecutor.The former staff and students told Anadolu Agency the details of how the organization embezzled the money collected from the Turkish and Ethiopian people as to help the needy.M.T., a former student at the school, said five years ago, the school handed out blank papers to over 30 students in the dormitories and were asked to make up at least 250 Ethiopian names each and sign them.“Then these papers were shown as help to the public. Although we were uncomfortable with what was going on, we couldn't do anything because we were afraid.“They frequently used to tell us that they have people in the police and government offices. Anyone who put their signature is a witness,” said the former student.M.T. also said the terror group initially began operating under the Omeriye Educational and Medical Foundation Charitable Trust in Ethiopia and was privileged a tax-free import of goods to the country.The former student said the tax-free goods pretended to obtained for schools or charity were sold in the black market with help from Turkish traders affiliated to them.M.T. noted that he personally witnessed the schools importing furniture with a tax exemption of 3 million Ethiopian birr (around $108,000), but none of it was used in the schools.Another witness, V.A., who worked in the FETO schools said the organization used to deceive people saying that they helped 200 people, when in reality they only aided two people.V.A said, “I asked why they were doing such things several times. They were bothered when I kept asking questions.”FETO-linked 'Kimse Yok Mu' Relief Foundation used to come during the Muslim holiday of Eid Al-Adha, V.A noted."The school administration used to prepare livestock to be sacrificed before they [Kimse Yok Mu] arrived. They wrote much higher prices than the ones they bought on paper. They also reported that they sacrificed 1,000 animals whereas they only sacrificed 100.”The former employee said the terror group’s illegal operations in Ethiopia were designed and used to be carried out by so-called “imam” of Ethiopia Murat Yildirim.Adnan Azak, known as the former so-called "British Imam" of the terror group, has taken over the operations in the region.Azak has been visiting Ethiopia frequently since last year. It is known that the schools in the East African nation are managed by Celil Aydin who has lived in the country for years.V.A. added, “Celil Aydın is the director of the schools. He is also the brain of all the illegal business. How knows very well how to be corrupt and deal with the administrators.”Defeated coup, schools abroadFETO has been accused elsewhere of moving around its assets around in shell games to protect its illegal gains from prosecutors, as shown in a 2016 case in the U.S. state of New Jersey also involving schools.FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, 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, including the military, police, and education.FETO also has a considerable presence outside Turkey, including private educational institutions that serve as a revenue stream for the terrorist group.
FETÖ pretends to collect aid money in Ethiopia
Three suspected members of the terrorist group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey -- out of 37 being sought by warrant -- have been arrested, a security source said Tuesday.The arrests were carried out during simultaneous anti-terror raids in 22 provinces, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.Among the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) suspects are 14 suspended officers with the Gendarmerie General Command -- including two lieutenant colonels -- and 23 civilians, the source added. FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.Ankara also accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.MHP head urges Germany to see FETÖ as terrorist
Turkey arrests three of 37 FETÖ-linked suspects
Turkey's Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader on Tuesday called on Germany to recognize what they call the "Gulen Movement" as a terrorist organization."As long as FETÖ [Fetullah Terrorist Organization] is called the Gulen Movement [in Germany], how could these traitors and assassins in Europe be fought against," said Devlet Bahçeli during his party's parliamentary group session.Bahçeli said Germany has been misjudging the defeated coup of July 15, 2016.German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday that Germany needed more information and evidence about the group to categorize it as a terrorist organization, just as it did for the PKK terrorist group."If Germany respects to Turkey's sovereignty rights, it should recognize FETÖ as terrorist organization, a villainous organization that is even worse than PKK," said Bahçeli.Bahçeli also called on Germany to extradite FETÖ members to Turkey.According to the Turkish government, the FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.Ankara also accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.FETÖ terror group strips schools for cash in EthiopiaUK court to conclude FETÖ extradition case in November
MHP head urges Germany to see FETÖ as terrorist