Turkey's Justice and Interior Ministries said Monday that allegations of problems caused by negligence in the arrests of "red notice" members of Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) fleeing abroad did not reflect the truth and instead have been caused by complications with Interpol authorities.
The ministries said in a statement that, contrary to reports of "negligence" in arrest and extradition of fugitive FETÖ members, investigations and prosecutions initiated by judicial authorities are "meticulously coordinated."
Interpol channels are used along with extradition requests to bring terrorists to justice, the statement added.
The ministries said that complications with the Interpol system have been caused by Interpol policies rather than the Turkish justice system.
After the July 2016 coup, Turkey canceled the passports of people primarily connected to FETÖ and submitted their information to Interpol databases with red notice requests.
"However, the Interpol General Secretariat removed passport cancellations and our authority to add new data to the database," the statement said, adding that new requests have not been entered into the system or have been rejected.
"The main reason for the ineffective use of Interpol channels is that Interpol insists on denying the bloody actions of the FETÖ armed terrorist organization as an act of terrorism," it added, citing the 251 citizens killed and over 2,000 injured in the coup attempt.
Despite complications with red notice requests, however, the ministries noted: "All kinds of initiatives are continuing regarding the bringing back of the fugitives under the reciprocity principle. The Justice and Interior Ministries continue to work with discipline and in coordination in the processes related to the red notice when members of the terrorist organization FETÖ fleeing abroad are caught and brought to our country."
