Qatar-Turkey defence deal crucial for regional security

DOHA: The Ambassador of Turkey to Qatar, Fikret Ozer, has said that Qatar was the very first country which showed its support to Turkish government during 2016 failed coup attempt.

Addressing a press conference yesterday at the eve of marking second anniversary of failed coup attempt, the ambassador lauded Qatar’s support to Turkey saying Qatar was making great progress under visionary leadership of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Turkey marks July 15 as country’s Democracy and National Unity Day after 2016 failed coup attempt which was made on the this day. Ambassador Ozer further said that defence agreement between Turkey and Qatar is important for maintaining regional security.

Regarding a question on Qatar’s blockade, Ozer said, like Turkey was targeted in 2016, Qatar was also targeted last year but “strong leadership of both the countries defeated the attacks’. He said that some media outlets of the blockading countries also ran propaganda campaigns against Turkey during 2016 failed coup attempt through misreporting of events.

He said that Fetullah Gillen, leader of FETO, was the mastermind behind what happened in Turkey on July 15, 2016. “Fetullah Gillen and his disciples planned and tried to capture the Turkish Republic and did not shy away from using lethal military force against innocent civilians, killing 251 and wounding thousands,” he added.

He said that two years long investigations and judicial process on the events of July 15 had produced countless crucial evidence against FETO. “Most recent findings illustrate that even on the night of July 15 the plotters were in direct communication with the FETO leadership,” he said.

He said that FETO was launched under the guise of a charitable education effort. “I would like to emphasise this aspect because that is exactly what this organization is up to in many countries. They disguised themselves as a benign education movement, when they started the campaign of establishing schools in Turkey and later around the world.

“But, we now understand that this was the first step of an infiltration campaign where kids and their parents were recruited with the seemingly innocent promise of a better education and a good job.”

He said that the crime syndicate behind all this devised and ran an integrated system that took care of recruitment through schools and financing was ensured by holding companies and donations from business people.

“The organisation established media houses to shape the public opinion for and against any person, group or idea. These media houses became focal point of actions taken against journalists, academicians, bureaucrats and military officers who opposed them, or tried to expose them.”

“As the organisation grew stronger and became more affluent it started meddling in business transactions, government tender processes. Laundering enormous sums of money, arranging illegal transfers of cash and other financial crimes became business as usual.”

He said that July 15 failed coup attempt was a desperate move of FETO to keep their control in place and capture the State which they were aiming to do through infiltration.

He said that FETO’s actions in Turkey should be considered as a wake-up call for other countries. “We are pleased to note ever increasing awareness on part of our partners regarding the security threat posed by FETO.”

In many regions, the ambassador said, FETO schools and other entities had been closely inspected and put under state control.  “Investigations into FETO structures and FETO operatives are under way in many countries. Global crime apparatus of this organisation is shrinking,” he added.