The Turkish government has warned that members of a terrorist group known as the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) exist in Nigeria and also operate in other countries around the world.
Mehmet Poroy, Turkish Ambassador-designate to Nigeria, disclosed this on Tuesday night in Abuja at a dinner organised by the Turkish Embassy to mark the country’s Democracy and National Unity Day.
Our correspondent reports that the ceremony is held annually to mark the July 15, 2016, failed coup in Türkiye, which was allegedly orchestrated by the so-called FETO terrorists.
The Turkish government said the coup was successfully quelled by the collective resistance of its patriotic forces and citizens, who resisted the mutiny against the government of President Recep Erdoğan.
According to Ambassador Poroy, members of the Gülen movement, which sponsored the coup, are still being captured and arrested globally, hence their presence in any country poses a serious national threat.
“They are still being captured and arrested today. The presence of such an organisation poses a threat to every country in which it operates.
“Unfortunately, the FETO terrorist organisation still maintains its activities in Nigeria, particularly in the fields of education and healthcare.
“We consistently inform our Nigerian friends about the nature and dangers of this organisation, and urge them to remain vigilant and cautious,” Poroy said.
The Turkish envoy said that, through international cooperation, Turkiye has been able to successfully disrupt many FETO cells and networks operating in allied countries around the world.
According to him, numerous institutions, especially schools that form part of FETO’s international network, have been taken over by Turkish institutions.
He, however, stressed that the group’s international structures have not been fully dismantled globally.
“The fact that new investigations and arrests into the organisation continue to be launched demonstrates the need for this struggle to be pursued with unwavering determination.
“In several countries, including Nigeria, FETO continues to pump its operations under the presence of humanitarian aid, education, healthcare, and interfaith dialogue.
“You must not forget that behind this humanitarian appearance lies an organisation that seeks to infiltrate the political and bureaucratic institutions of host countries,” Poroy warned.
Our correspondent reports that the Gülen movement (known as Hizmet or Service in Turk language) is purportedly a transnational, religious, educational, and social organisation, founded in late 1950.
Its founder, Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish Islamic scholar, died as a Turkish fugitive in Oct. 2024 at the age of 83, in Pennsylvania, United States.
The Turkish government accuses Gülen of masterminding the 2016 bloody coup, which claimed at least 251 lives, and has officially designated the group as a global terrorist organisation.
Nine years after the coup, Türkiye has continued its aggressive global campaign against the group, saying it still operates worldwide, although the group has denied the terrorism tag.
Türkiye has been engaged in a massive global crackdown on the group, seizing or freezing billions of dollars of Gülen-linked assets and institutions, including schools, universities, foundations, associations, and companies.
Our correspondent also reports that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC); the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC); alongside countries like Pakistan and Northern Cyprus have designated FETO as a terrorist organisation. (NAN)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday the joint US-Israeli campaign was “crushing” Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah and called for Iranians to rise up and overthrow the Islamic republic.
Netanyahu spoke soon after the new Iranian ruler Mojtaba Khamenei’s first statement, in which he vowed to avenge the Iranians killed in the war so far.
“We are crushing Iran and Hezbollah,” Netanyahu said in a televised media briefing.
In wide-ranging comments on the war, Netanyahu said he was seeking to use the conflict to oust the clerical leadership in Tehran.
“I have added a third objective, which is to create, for the Iranian people, the conditions to bring down this regime,” Netanyahu said.
The other two goals remained preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons and destroying its ballistic missile capabilities, he said.
The Israeli leader used his remarks to demand that Beirut rein in Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which has joined Iran in launching missile strikes on Israel.
“I told the Lebanese government a few days ago — you are playing with fire if you continue allowing Hezbollah to operate, in violation of your commitment to disarm it,” he said.
“The time has come for you to do so. Now, if you do not do so, it is clear that we will do so,” he continued.
Hezbollah on Thursday said it carried out a number of attacks against Israel, including on an air defence system near the town of Caesarea, home to Netanyahu’s private residence.
Israel has threatened to target Lebanese government infrastructure if the attacks by Hezbollah persist.
Netanyahu had a personal message for Iran’s new leader, saying: “We eliminated the old tyrant, and the new tyrant, the puppet of the Revolutionary Guards, can’t show his face in public.”
Khamenei had earlier issued a first statement in his name that was read out by a TV presenter.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) have stated that Nigerians who wish to leave Iran are being safely escorted across the Armenia border by officials of the Nigerian Embassy in Tehran.
In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, the commission said the move was aimed at ensuring a “smooth and secure passage for those wishing to exit the country.”
“No Nigerian in Iran has been affected by the conflict so far, with government officials remaining stationed at the border to receive and assist all evacuees,” the statement said.
NIDCOM added that the federal government remains vigilant and is responding to the safety and welfare of Nigerians abroad.
The Commission noted that the evacuation process is being coordinated in collaboration with Armenian authorities, with Nigerian officials stationed at the border to assist citizens arriving from Iran.
Meanwhile, at least one Nigerian has been identified among the 122 people injured during the interception of Iranian ballistic missiles in the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE Ministry of Defence did not specify the number of casualties from each nationality.
It remained unclear how many Nigerians are currently in Iran or other Middle Eastern countries affected by the ongoing conflict. However, some Nigerians in Gulf states have called on the Federal Government to prepare repatriation flights for their evacuation.
Earlier, the chairperson of NIDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said Nigeria would begin repatriating its citizens stranded in the Middle East once the airspace reopens.
The Commission has also released emergency hotlines for Nigerians in the affected areas to seek assistance.
President Donald Trump said Thursday it would be a “waste of time” currently to consider sending US ground troops into Iran, NBC News reported, dismissing the Iranian foreign minister’s warning that such a move would spell disaster for invaders.
“It’s a waste of time. They’ve lost everything. They’ve lost their navy. They’ve lost everything they can lose,” he told NBC by telephone, adding that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s earlier remark that Iran was ready for a US or Israeli ground invasion was a “wasted comment.”
Trump also indicated he is keen to see Iran’s leadership structure removed and that “we want to go in and clean out everything” quickly.
