Coup attempt in Turkey

With reference to the two articles of Mr. Jarius Bondoc entitled “Filipina, baby caught in Turkey crackdown” and “Filipina, infant freed from Turkish jail, but…” published by the Philippine STAR on Nov. 18, 2016 and Dec. 5, 2016, respectively, I would like to bring to your attention the following on the terrorist coup attempt in Turkey on July 15, 2016 perpetrated by the Fethullah Gülen Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) and the subsequent judicial/administrative process which has been taking place thereafter.

Firstly, it should be noted that FETÖ, which has been engaged in many illegal acts, is not an “innocent and peaceful inter-faith movement,” but a malicious and secretive terrorist organization with an international network. The members of FETÖ, which is led by Fethullah Gulen, have been infiltrating into state structures so as to gain control over government policies by illegitimate means and merely to their own advantage at the expense of the larger public good.

Likewise, the judicial/administrative process put in place following the coup attempt which cost the lives of hundreds of people and damaged government property can not and should not be described as “crackdown,” since it goes without saying that the perpetrators of such a heinous act and other FETÖ-affiliated persons who have been collaborating with them to overthrow the democratically elected government in defiance of the legitimate state order, all of whom have taken up posts at various levels in many public institutions and organized themselves in a disguised manner for years in order to establish a secret parallel state structure within the State must be identified and held accountable through legal means in compliance with law.

Last but not least, the perpetrators have committed treason and thus, the matter is being handled as a national security issue.

I hope that the foregoing information will be useful in realizing the true nature of FETÖ and understanding the necessary legal measures being implemented in Turkey following the traumatic experience of July 15, 2016. – Vural Göktas, Third Secretary, Turkish Embassy in Manila