FETO terror has no place in OSCE: Top Turkish diplomat

By Gulsum Incekaya

ISTANBUL

Groups linked to the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey should not be allowed to work with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), said Turkey’s foreign minister on Monday.

"The participation of any FETO-linked representative or so-called NGO, of course, is not an issue which we can accept," Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters, referring to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup.

He made the remarks in Istanbul, alongside his visiting Slovakian counterpart Miroslav Lajcak. In a little over a month, Slovakia is set to take the OSCE chairmanship for 2019.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Lajcak, Cavusoglu said he had stressed to his Slovakian counterpart how the participation of FETO-linked groups on OSCE platforms is unacceptable for Turkey.

Cavusoglu said some groups linked to FETO have participated in OSCE civil society platforms in previous years.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016 in Turkey, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

Lajcak, for his part, said they believe the OSCE will do very good work for security in Europe and Asia and that they want Turkey's views on this.

He said that Turkey is a very important OSCE participating state.

Lajcak said he and Cavusoglu exchanged views and discussed priorities.

He added that he was happy to be received well in Turkey and to get support for their plans for the OSCE helm.