The Turkish American National Steering Committee (TASC) penned a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden in response to a letter by Rep. Christopher Smith, which expressed concern over what he called “human rights violations” in Türkiye against members of Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ).
The letter underlined that Türkiye respected human rights and complied with European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgments in complaints over human rights violations.
“Representative Smith mischaracterizes criminal proceedings against members of the Fethullah Gülen Cult, which is globally known as the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ),” the letter said. Türkiye next Monday will mark the eighth anniversary of a coup attempt perpetrated by loyalists of FETÖ within the Turkish army that killed more than 250 people. The letter reminded Biden that he saw with his own eyes the devastation in the aftermath of the failed military coup. “For the Turkish people, July 15, 2016, is the same as what the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill Insurrection was for the American people. At the end of the day, the Turkish people’s resolve and commitment to democracy prevailed,” it said.
“We invite Representative Smith to get on the right side of history, law and policy,” it said.
TASC said Smith’s “fallacious” letter was mobilized by members and supporters of FETÖ “which seek to undercut the legitimate claims of the victims of the coup attempt through an intentional process of disinformation and coercion, better described as gaslighting.”
“The Gülen cult has misled its unwitting network in Congress to harm U.S.-Turkish relations under the pretext of defending human rights. But they care only about their ‘Supreme Leader’ Fethullah Gülen and their willing executioners among groups who hate Türkiye and people of Turkish heritage,” the letter said.
“We urge extreme caution and due diligence. No Congressman or American leader should feel compelled to follow the crooked path of the Gülen Cult,” TASC also stated.
