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HE Berna Kasnakli, the Turkish Ambassador to Zimbabwe today praised the host country for its stance of refusing to entertain the FETO terrorist organisation.
She made the remarks on the occasion to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the 15 July failed Coup attempt by FETO Terrorist Organization against the Government of the Republic of Türkiye.
“I would like to reiterate our gratitude to the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe. No ground was given to FETO in Zimbabwe to root down here and cultivate their vicious plans,” the Ambassador said.
On a fateful day, 251 people fell martyrs, and more than two thousand citizens were wounded because of the coup attempt planned by the FETÖ terrorist organization and heinously executed by the organization’s embedded officers.
The atrocious attempt was defeated due to the Turkish citizens’ heroic efforts who did not recognize anything but their own will and were ready to sacrifice their life to protect the State and its democratic gains.
Fethullah Gülen, a religious preacher, and his followers disguised themselves as a benign education movement since the 1970s. They established schools first in Türkiye and later around the world. At the peak of their power, they controlled thousands of schools in addition to businesses in Türkiye and more than eight hundred private educational institutes worldwide.
This was the first step of an infiltration campaign where kids and their parents were recruited with the promise of education. They provided scholarships followed by good job opportunities. Brainwashed students including the ones in military and police academies, turned into unquestioning, obeying foot soldiers of Fethullah Gülen.
The goal was to subvert the democratic foundations of the Turkish state and establish a new anti-democratic one under the absolute rule of Gülen.
In order to infiltrate the critical government posts, FETO-affiliated students were provided with the answers to exams including the Army College, the Police Academy entrance exams, and the centralized Public Service Admission Tests.
The crime syndicate ran an integrated system that took care of recruitment, while financing was provided by their companies and donations. The organization also established media houses to shape public opinion, organize smear campaigns, and discredit people and institutions questioning the Gülenists.
The FETO members infiltrating critical state posts abused their power to eliminate whoever opposed the organization, by illegal wiretapping, fabricating evidence, and unlawful arrests, thereby intimidating and blackmailing a large segment of the society. Politicians, civil servants, businesspeople, and journalists have all been their targets.
FETO planned to disrupt law and order and capture the Turkish Republic on 15 July 2016.
His disciples within the armed forces used lethal military force against civilians. Air bombardment of the Turkish Parliament is a heinous act that demonstrates the plot against the national will.
“In the end, this is a victory for democracy. The coup attempt on 15 July 2016 was brought down and halted by the brave Turkish people with their self-sacrifice and utmost devotion. In light of these facts, various countries and international organizations have declared FETO as a terrorist organization.
“Gülen has become and is still one of the serious threats to Türkiye as well as the international community. One of the priorities of Türkiye is to fight this evil in and outside Türkiye. Following the domestic crackdown on the terrorist organization, FETO started prioritizing its harmful activities abroad. We spare no effort to explain to our foreign counterparts, this crime organization poses a security threat to where ever it is functioning,” Ambassador Kasnakli said.