Mehmet Salih Gözegir
A former executive of Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ)-linked foundation in the U.S. has been brought to Turkey on Friday, according to security sources.
Mehmet Salih Gözegir was deported from the U.S. on Thursday after he was found guilty of sexual abuse of children, said a security source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
Gözegir arrived at Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul from Houston under security escort, the source said, adding he was later referred to police headquarters in the city.
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.Trump administration seeks ways to kick FETÖ leader Gülen out of USAfter 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 says will not link fate of FETÖ leader Gülen to KhashoggiSince 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.FETÖ-linked daily’s ex-columnist gets prison sentence
Erdoğan, Trump discuss US probe into FETÖ activities
He was one of the board members of the Raindrop Foundation -- one of the umbrella organizations of FETÖ in the U.S. -- in 2014. He was detained following a police raid in 2015.
Gözegir, who was in the U.S. for his medical education, was released on $50,000 bail pending trial.
He was expelled from board membership in the foundation and his deportation was decided in June 2018.
The Raindrop Foundation has been operating as the umbrella institution uniting many schools and foundations belonging to FETÖ.
FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup on 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.