Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül phoned his Pakistani counterpart on Monday to express his appreciation for the country's top court ruling on Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), the group behind the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, an official said.
In a phone call to Pakistan's Law and Justice Minister Farogh Naseem, Gül thanked the Pakistani government for its help to designate FETÖ a "terrorist outfit" following a top court verdict.
On Friday, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered the government to declare the FETÖ a terror group and to ban its affiliated schools in the country
FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fethullah Gülen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, in Turkey, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.
Ankara accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.
The Turkish minister welcomed Pakistan's top court verdict to declare FETÖ and its linked foundation as a terror outfit and to hand over the FETÖ-linked schools and other educational institutions to Turkiye Maarif Foundation.
"This court verdict, which we consider as the manifestation of mutual cooperation based on strong bonds between the two brotherly countries, should set a precedent for all countries," he said.
Gül also congratulated Naseem for assuming his office as law and justice minister of Pakistan in the cabinet of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Naseem, for his part, thanked Gül for his courteous call and said Pakistan would always stand by Turkey.
"Pakistan and Turkey enjoy strong relations and our new government would further strengthen these ties," Naseem told Gül over phone.
The Turkish minister also invited Naseem to visit Turkey.
