Turkey's enemies are Pakistan's enemies: Ambassador

Efforts are underway to dismiss school teachers linked to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) in Pakistan, the country's ambassador to Turkey Sohail Mahmood said on Thursday.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Mahmood said that Pakistan ordered dozens of Turkish staff working at the FETÖ-linked Pak-Turk Education Foundation to leave the country on Nov. 15. "Enemies of Turkey are enemies of Pakistan. Friends of Turkey are the friends of Pakistan," he said.

A total of 108 teachers from FETÖ-linked schools across Pakistan have been informed that their visas would not be extended and were asked to leave by Nov. 20 in a notice from the Interior Ministry to Fesih Çelik, CEO of the Pak-Turk Education Foundation.

Turkey requested that Pakistan close dozens of schools, colleges and businesses that are part of the FETÖ network. The decision came ahead of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's two-day visit to Pakistan last month.

"Pakistan was one of the first countries to condemn the July 15 attempted coup. Our leadership and government extended full support and solidarity to the president, to the elected government and the democratic institutions of Turkey," Mahmood said.

"The people and the government in Pakistan are deeply relieved and overjoyed that democracy triumphed in Turkey and that the illegal coup attempt was defeated."

FETÖ attempted to stage a coup to topple the democratically elected president and government of Turkey. The attempt was thwarted by military troops loyal to the government, along with police units and millions of Turkish citizens in favor of democracy. In total, 248 people, mostly civilians, were killed by pro-coup soldiers, while over 2,000 people were injured.

The attempt was masterminded by FETÖ leader Fetullah Gülen, who has been living in self-imposed exile on a 400-acre property that includes a mansion and several guest houses, in the foothills of the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania since 1999.