Fifty months after the attempted coup against Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which, according to the Turkish government, was a work of the Guilenists (FETO), the cleansing within the Turkish armed forces is proceeding at unimpeded pace.
On Friday, arrest warrants were handed over to 110 Turkish Air Force officers on duty, accused of being affiliated with Imam Gülen, who lives in self-exile in the US. The Turkish authorities argue that even today there are nuclei of the “Fethullah Gülen (FETO) terrorist organization, and this is the reason for the continuation of the operations. Among the arrested are three policemen and five pilots, as well as officers serving at Incirlik air base.
By Friday night, 85 officers had been arrested and the authorities were looking for the rest in 15 Turkish cities.
Since July 2016, when the coup against the Turkish president was attempted, more than 77,000 people have been arrested and 150,000 have been removed from office or have been suspended indefinitely, in the context of these operations of the Turkish authorities which, according to Ankara, are necessary to eliminate any risk of mutiny. Among the arrested are also many journalists.
“We’ll hunt them wherever they are”
Turkish Presidential Speaker, Ibrahim Kalin, spoke of the continuation of the abductions of Gulenists in foreign countries, by the Turkish secret services, and stressed that Turkey is determined to punish them.
“The operations of Turkish intelligence services (MIT) and the Armed Forces abroad will continue with the same determination. Those who have committed crimes against Turkey know that they will be brought to justice and, whether in a year or five years, will be punished.
The Republic of Turkey will not allow the members of the FETO (Gulenists) to draw breath. All of them will feel the breath of Turkey on their neck”, Kalin said.
MIT has made kidnaps in 18 countries and has captured 80 FETO members, whom they have brought back to Turkey.
Source: balkaneu