Turkish intel returns wanted FETO terror group member

By Tolga Ozgenc

BAKU, Azerbaijan

Turkish intelligence officers brought back from Azerbaijan a member of the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey, security sources said on Saturday.

Mehmet Gelen, who is wanted by Turkish authorities, had been trying to enter Belarus with a fake passport when he was deported to Azerbaijan, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

A teacher by profession, Gelen worked for Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) schools operating in Azerbaijan until the 2016 coup attempt in Turkey, which led to the closing of schools belonging to the terror group in the Caucasian country.

FETO has a considerable presence outside Turkey, including private educational institutions that serve as a revenue stream for the terrorist group.

After he was deported to Azerbaijan, the Turkish Intelligence Organization (MIT) successfully apprehended Gelen in an operation against the group.

Gelen is wanted for being a member of an armed terrorist organization.

A number of key FETO members have been brought to Turkey from especially Balkan countries by Turkish intelligence operations.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, 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.