BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) – North Macedonia is ready to take action against the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) – the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey – if Turkey presents additional evidence on its suspected members, said the country’s prime minister on Tuesday.
"In order for our Justice Ministry and relevant judicial institutions to take action, there must be decisions and court documents on the [suspected] members," Zoran Zaev said in response to Aleksandar Veljanovski, a member of the opposition Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization, in parliament.
He added: "Of course, we will take action if additional evidence is presented in accordance with international law."
North Macedonia condemned the defeated 2016 coup attempt, he said.
"Personally, I have informed the president of Turkey. Our interior ministers have excellent cooperation on the details about the organized crime of the alleged FETO group. We have publicly condemned the coup attempt to overthrow a legitimate and democratically elected government of the Republic of Turkey," he said.
Turkey has warned of fugitive FETO members fleeing to other countries, including in the Balkans, and threatening security there.
FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and 2,734 injured.
Turkey also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.
