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Turkish and U.S. presidents on Friday discussed ongoing investigations into the activities of Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) in the U.S., said a statement by the Turkish Presidency.
According to the statement, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Donald Trump spoke over the phone on late Friday.
It said the two leaders also exchanged views on Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder, counter-terrorism efforts in Syria and bilateral economic relations.
"Agreeing on the need to shed light on all aspects and to prevent a cover-up of Jamal Khashoggi’s slaying, the leaders have stressed the importance of close cooperation between Turkey and the United States in the fight against all terrorist organizations," the statement added.
Khashoggi, a frequent contributor to The Washington Post, was killed on Oct. 2 inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration ordered federal law enforcement agencies to examine legal methods of getting Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) leader Fetullah Gülen out of the U.S. in an attempt to convince Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to ease pressure on Saudi Arabia following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, NBC News reported citing four sources.Khashoggi, a royal insider turned critic of Saudi policy and the crown prince’s reforms, was killed in the country’s Istanbul consulate on Oct. 2, after a struggle.The move suggests Trump could be seeking ways to appease Erdoğan over the Khashoggi murder without harming his alliance with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.Turkey says will not link fate of FETÖ leader Gülen to KhashoggiThe White House asked for details about Gülen’s residency status. Officials initially “pushed back on the White House requests, but once they realized it was serious they were furious.”A total of 249 people were martyred and nearly 2,200 injured in the July 15 failed coup which was perpetrated by FETÖ, led by ringleader Fetullah Gülen, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania.“One option that Turkish and Trump administration officials recently discussed is forcing Gülen to relocate to South Africa rather than sending him directly to Turkey if extradition is not possible, said the U.S. officials and people briefed on the discussions. But the U.S. does not have any legal justification to send Gülen to South Africa, they said, so that wouldn't be a viable option unless he went willingly,” NBC News reported.FETÖ-linked daily’s ex-columnist gets prison sentenceErdoğan and other Turkish officials reiterated to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who visited Turkey on Oct. 17, that they sought the extradition of Gülen. Pompeo allegedly queried whether there was “any new evidence” of Gülen links to the 2016 failed coup.Erdoğan told Pompeo that Gülen has “terrorist ties,” a senior U.S. official briefed on the meeting said.Following the coup, Turkey delivered “boxes of materials to the U.S.” that Ankara says proves Gülen was the mastermind. However, the FBI and U.S. Justice Department state they “didn't find evidence that met the standard for extradition, which requires U.S. prosecutors to determine that someone committed crimes abroad that would also be illegal in the U.S.”Gülen pursued a long-running campaign to overthrow the Turkish government through the infiltration of state institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as the parallel state.Germany not meeting Turkey's demands on FETÖ: FM
Trump administration seeks ways to kick FETÖ leader Gülen out of US
After weeks of denying any involvement in the crime, Saudi Arabia later admitted that Khashoggi had been killed inside the consulate but claimed the Saudi royal family had no prior knowledge about any murder plot.
Erdoğan also offered his condolences to Trump for the loss of lives in the California wildfire.
The two leaders also welcomed the start of joint patrols by Turkish and the U.S. troops within the framework of the Manbij roadmap in northwestern Syria and addressed the completion of the process without further delay.
Turkish and U.S. troops began joint patrols on Nov. 1.
Turkey has ruled out any deal with the United States to scale down its investigation into the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi if the U.S. expels Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) leader Fetullah GülenNBC News reported on Thursday that the Trump administration was exploring ways to remove cleric Fethullah Gülen and persuade President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to ease pressure on Saudi Arabia over the killing. The White House said the story was "not accurate".A senior Turkish official said the issues of Gülen's extradition, which Turkey has long sought, and the investigation into who was behind Khashoggi's killing at Saudi Arabia's Istanbul consulate last month, were separate issues."At no point did Turkey offer to hold back on the Khashoggi investigation in return for Fethullah Gülen's extradition," the official said. "We have no intention to intervene in the Khashoggi investigation in return for any political or legal favour."Trump administration seeks ways to kick FETÖ leader Gülen out of USErdoğan has said the order for Khashoggi's killing came from the highest levels of the Saudi leadership. Washington on Thursday announced sanctions over the killings, targeting 17 Saudi officials but not the Riyadh government - an important U.S. security and economic ally.Erdoğan has long demanded that Washington extradite Gülen, orchestrated Turkey's July 15 coup attempt and is the mastermind behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.Since the failed coup, operations have been ongoing in the military, police and judiciary as well as in state institutions across the country to arrest suspects with alleged links to FETÖ.U.S. officials have said the courts need sufficient evidence to extradite the cleric.FETÖ-linked daily’s ex-columnist gets prison sentenceGermany not meeting Turkey's demands on FETÖ: FM
Turkey says will not link fate of FETÖ leader Gülen to Khashoggi
Since June 18, the Turkish Armed Forces have carried out 68 unilateral patrols in Manbij.
The Manbij deal between Turkey and the U.S. focuses on the withdrawal of YPG/PKK terrorists from the city to stabilize the region, which is in the northeast of northern Syria's Aleppo province.
The statement said Erdoğan has shared with Trump his expectations for the U.S. to stop supporting the PKK terror group's Syrian branch, referring to PYD/YPG.
In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women and children.
"Recalling the importance of following up on the matters discussed in France, the leaders reiterated their commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations in all areas," the statement added.
A Turkish court on Wednesday sentenced to prison a former columnist of a daily linked to FETÖ -- the group behind the 2016 defeated coup.The 2nd High Criminal Court in Uşak, a western Anatolian province, handed down a jail term of 19-and-a-half years on charges of founding and managing an armed terrorist group. Ali Ünal, a former columnist for Zaman newspaper which has been shut down, denied accusations saying he had written over 90 books and worked for newspapers for 26 years, including 20 years for daily Zaman. FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gülen 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.Germany not meeting Turkey's demands on FETÖ: FM
FETÖ-linked daily’s ex-columnist gets prison sentence