Shut firms linked to July 15 coup, Turkey tells India

MUMBAI: The counsel general of Turkey in Mumbai, E Sabri Ergen, on Monday said they have requested the central and state governments to shut organisations linked

MUMBAI: The counsel general of Turkey in Mumbai, E Sabri Ergen, on Monday said they have requested the central and state governments to shut organisations linked to the group behind the July 15 coup in Turkey. He said that while he was in touch with the state government, Turkey’s Ambassador, Burak Akçapar, wrote to the Centre.

HT Image

Speaking at a press conference at the Turkish consulate, he said many institutes with links to the group operate in the country.

“These are fronts and are legal, but in the bigger picture, they are part of a sinister network,” he said. He did not name the organisations but said they had branches in sectors such as schools and offices. He added that a recently-shut bank too had ties to the group.

Turkish authorities named Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric, as the mastermind behind the coup.

He added that Gulen’s organisations in Joran had been shut. Ergen said Gulen operates from Pennsylvania, US, and that they requested his extradition. He said Gulen’s aides got administrative jobs in Turkey, aspiring to take over the country.

He added that the US and Turkey were fighting ISIS together. Ergen said India was an important ally for Turkey as both are democratic countries.