The U.S. needs to act immediately to prevent the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) from poisoning Turkish-American relations, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Thursday.
“If you don’t act now, they will poison the US, as well as the Turkish-US alliance," Cavusoglu said. “Yet, they, including their gang leader still live and function amongst you.”
Cavusoglu remarks were delivered via video from Turkey to a conference by the Turkish Heritage Organization think tank in Washington, where he said Turks have been deceived by FETO and its terror leader, Fetullah Gulen.
Gulen's far-reaching network consists of more than 150 charter schools in 26 U.S. states that present to parents a secular and more academically rigorous alternative to public schools.
But the FBI is currently investigating whether entities in the network have been secretly funneling money from the science- and math-focused schools to fund FETO institutions in Turkey.
The schools and institutions have operated on more than $2.1 billion of U.S. taxpayer money since 2010, according to U.S. media.
Cavusoglu noted that when FETO attempted a deadly coup in Turkey last July that killed 250 victims and injured thousands, the objective was not only to overthrow the democratically elected government, but destroy the constitutional order.
Turkish officials accuse the secret network of plotting to overthrow the government with a campaign that managed to infiltrate the country’s institutions, including the military, police and the judiciary.
Cavusoglu said Turkish authorities have been working to eradicate FETO’s network in Turkey for the past year but the group continues to operate globally through a vast array of schools, business associations and lobbyists.
Turkish authorities took immediate action after they realized FETO's ulterior motives, according to Cavusoglu, adding that the terror group was on the verge destruction in Turkey when it activated its followers within the armed forces to attempt the putsch.
"Do not be misled by their propaganda machine." said Cavusoglu, referring to the media's claims of Gulen is a moderate Islamic cleric who is ready to stand with the West in the fight against radicalism.
"The brutality of this terrorist organization during the coup attempt shows their hypocrisy and we need the support and assistance of our friends to enlighten others about the wolf in sheep’s cloths," he said.
James Jeffrey, the former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, who also spoke at the event, contended that Gulen's extradition status and U.S. support to the PYD/YPG in Syria are two main obstacles to smoothing Turkish-American relations.
Turkey has so far requested the extradition of more than 100 FETO-linked suspects from 40 countries following the last year failed coup attempt, according to Turkish government figures.