ISLAMABAD: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Tuesday said Ankara had Pakistan’s “full cooperation” on taking action against what Turkey calls the Fethullah Terror Organisation (Feto) – headed by Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey accuses of plotting the recent coup attempt.
Addressing a joint press conference alongside Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz in Islamabad, Cavusoglu said it is not a secret that Feto has a presence in Pakistan and many other countries.
“In my opening statement I expressed my satisfaction and appreciation that we have full cooperation with Pakistan in that regard, and I’m sure the necessary measures will be taken.”
The Turkish foreign minister said Ankara was taking “all necessary legal measures against the plotters of the coup, namely the terrorist organisation Feto, headed by Fethullah Gulen”. “Such organisations pose a risk or threat to the security and stability of every country in which they have a presence,” he continued.
“This terrorist organisation has a global network of schools, business associations and cultural organisations. In the past, we supported them but we didn’t know they had a hidden agenda, that they were trying to take over power in Turkey through such attempts. The first attempt of this group took place in Dec 2013,” he said, adding that the ‘terror group’ must be fought all over the world.
Responding to a question regarding the Kashmir issue, Cavusoglu said Turkey “fully supports” Pakistan’s position, and asked the OIC Secretary General to mobilise the OIC Contact Group and send a fact-finding mission to India-held Kashmir. “We believe this dispute can be solved only through dialogue and diplomacy, not violence or using force,” he said.
During an earlier meeting with Sartaj Aziz, Cavusoglu said both sides discussed methods to increase cooperation and are “hoping to sign a free trade agreement this year”.
The Turkish foreign minister said he had informed Aziz “how we are normalising our relations with Russia and Israel”, and also discussed regional issues, particularly ties with Afghanistan, and said Turkey would continue supporting reconciliation efforts in the region.
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