Turkey has repeated its request for the extradition of three Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) members from Cambodia, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has announced. Speaking in a joint news conference with the visiting Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, Çavuşoğlu said that the Turkish authorities have asked Cambodia to extradite three "high-profile members" of FETÖ. He did not, however, disclose their names.
"This terror group is a threat not only for Turkey but for every country it operates in," Çavuşoğlu said, adding that FETÖ "infiltrates state institutions by using charter schools as a cover-up, then tries to control the politics in that country." Çavuşoğlu said he talked about how FETÖ operates with his Cambodian counterpart and said that Turkey was ready to take over FETÖ-controlled schools in Cambodia through the Turkey Maarif Foundation. For his part, Sokhonn said his country is "in a close cooperation with Turkey" over FETÖ.
"As a friend of Turkey, Cambodia will continue to support Turkey in its operations against FETÖ," he said. Turkey had earlier issued extradition request to Cambodia for Mehmet Hanefi Sözen, a prominent member of the terrorist group. Sözen, who was the head of a now-defunct association linked to FETÖ, is the chief suspect in a massive exams cheating scandal by FETÖ. He is accused of supplying questions and answers to Gülenists for Public Personnel Selection Exam (KPSS) in 2010. FETÖ is accused of planting its infiltrators into Turkish institutions through this exam that chooses would-be civil servants.
The terrorist group, accused of carrying out the July 15, 2016 coup attempt through its infiltrators in the military, is known for its widespread clout in all sectors, from law enforcement and military to bureaucracy and judiciary.
FETÖ faced more scrutiny after the coup attempt, which was its first attempt at using its adherents in the military to seize power, just three years after it had tried its hand at a coup through its infiltrators in the judiciary and law enforcement. Tens of thousands of people have been arrested or detained since the failed coup attempt, with a similar number having been dismissed from public sector jobs for links to the terrorist group.
