Gulf Cooperation Council designates Gulen's movement as terrorist organization

Sputnik
Thu, 13 Oct 2016 20:31 UTC

© REUTERS/ Charles Mostoller

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) designated on Thursday the movement of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is believed by Ankara to be the mastermind behind a failed coup attempt in the country, as a terrorist group, local media reported.

The GCC also pledged to provide Turkey with support against the supporters of Gulen, the Daily Sabah media outlet reported.

Earlier on Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu met with his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir in Riyadh.

An attempted military coup took place in Turkey on July 15. It was suppressed the following day. Turkish authorities have accused Gulen of having incited the coup and have demanded his extradition from the United States.

Following the coup, thousands of people, mostly officials, legal and educational workers, were detained or dismissed over alleged ties to Gulen or his supporters' movement. The GCC is a powerful economic and military alliance of the Middle East nations - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Comment: Interesting development considering who the members are: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), political and economic alliance of six Middle Eastern countries—Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. The GCC was established in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, in May 1981.