MESOP NEWS : TURKEY-US RELATIONS TO SUFFER IF GULEN NOT EXTRADITED: JUSTICE MINISTER
- 2016 – SABAH – Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ said Monday that the relations between the U.S. and Turkey will deteriorate if U.S. authorities will not extradite Fetullah Gülen, the leader of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ).
In an interview with the Huffington Post, Bozdağ said FETÖ is much more dangerous than any other terror group that Turkey has long been struggling with, such as the PKK or Daesh. “FETÖ uses the guise of education and the religious community in the U.S. The U.S. authorities should investigate the money traffic between FETÖ institutions and schools,” Bozdağ said.
The Justice Minister emphasized that Gülen’s importance to Turkey is equivalent to what Osama bin Laden meant for the U.S. administration,adding he expects the U.S. will choose their strategic relationship with Turkey over sheltering a terrorist. “Gülen caused the deaths of 241 citizens along with bombing of the parliament and an attempted presidential assassination. The U.S. should appreciate the sensitivity of the Turkish people,” he said.
Bozdağ said that they are working to clear all the personnel linked with the terrorist organizations of Turkey, not just from FETÖ. He cited the post USSR and post East Germany period in comparison to the current process in Turkey. “500,000 people linked with communist regime were removed from their posts in the post-Soviet states. Likewise, Germany dismissed 500,000 people from their duties in East Germany. These types of examples have been seen in many states,” Bozdağ said. He also added that state of emergency does not affect daily life in Turkey.
http://www.dailysabah.com/diplomacy/2016/11/01/turkey-us-relations-to-suffer-if-gulen-not-extradit