The leader of Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), Fetullah Gulen
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that his administration is not discussing the extradition of the Pennsylvania-based ringleader of the terrorist group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey.
He told reporters that the issue of Fetullah Gulen’s extradition was “not under consideration,” speaking in front of the White House before flying to California.
The Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup in Turkey of July 15, 2016 which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.
Ankara has long sought Gulen's extradition -- since Barack Obama was president -- and has complained of the U.S. dragging its feet in handling the extradition request.
Asked about case of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Trump said he had not yet been briefed on CIA findings that the kingdom’s Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman had ordered the killing.
“We will be talking with the CIA later and lots of others. I’ll be doing that while I’m on the plane. I’ll be speaking also with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo,” he added.
Khashoggi, a frequent contributor to The Washington Post, was killed on Oct. 2 inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
After weeks of denying any knowledge of his fate, Saudi officials blamed his killing on a rogue group tasked with returning Khashoggi to Saudi soil.
President Donald Trump said Saturday he was not considering extraditing a U.S.-based cleric to Turkey as part of an effort to ease pressure on Saudi Arabia."No, it's not under consideration," Trump told reporters when asked about the potential extradition of FETÖ leader Fethullah Gülen, who is wanted in Turkey for being involved in a failed 2016 coup.NBC News reported Thursday the Trump administration had explored whether it could extradite Gülen, as a way to persuade Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to ease pressure on Saudi Arabia over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last month.Trump has sought closer ties with Saudi Arabia, citing Riyadh's role in countering Iranian influence in the region, and billions of dollars in potential arms deals.The Justice Department had denied on Friday the matter had been discussed.On Saturday, Trump said he got along well with Erdogan, and spoke of a desire to improve relations with Turkey. He also described Saudi Arabia as "a truly spectacular ally in terms of jobs and economic development."
Trump says not considering extraditing FETÖ leader Gülen
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.Erdoğan, Trump discuss US probe into FETÖ activitiesHe 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.
Ex-member of FETÖ-linked foundation brought to Turkey
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
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
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