FETO leader's brother remanded on terror charge

By Omer Sut and Safak Yel

IZMIR, Turkey (AA) - A Turkish court on Tuesday remanded in custody the brother of Fetullah Gulen, accused by the government of plotting the July 15 deadly coup attempt.

Kutbettin Gulen is charged with "being a member of an armed terrorist organization", according to a judicial source in the western Izmir province, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

Detained in Izmir on Oct. 2, Gulen denied the charges, saying: "I don't know anybody. I cursed this terrorist organization [FETO] and the ones who attempted this [coup attempt]".

Previously, Gulen was dismissed from a printing house operating under Kaynak Holding after the state appointed trustees to the company in 2015 for its links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

Led by Fetullah Gulen, FETO is accused of organizing the defeated coup as well as a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.

Turkey has repeatedly asked the U.S. to extradite Fetullah Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999.