Albania to Probe Suspected Turkish Coup Hiding Participants – Prosecutor

© AFP 2017/ Gurcan Ozturk

EUROPE

21:03 23.05.2017

Sputnik

Albania to launch an investigation into those suspect of having ties to the July 2016 coup attempt in Turkey, Albanian Chief Prosecutor Adriatik Llala said Tuesday.


MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Albania plans on launching an investigation into individuals who are suspected of having ties to the July 2016 coup attempt in Turkey, and who are allegedly hiding within the Balkan country's borders, Albanian Chief Prosecutor Adriatik Llala said Tuesday.

"Albanian authorities will launch a probe in this regard [against people linked to the coup]," Llala told reporters as quoted by the Daily Sabah newspaper, adding that Ankara demanded Tirana’s cooperation in searching for individuals linked to the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETO), the movement which Ankara blames for the attempted takeover.

Llala suggested that those who allegedly took part in the failed government takeover could be concealing their identities by "posing as businesspeople," according to the Daily Sabah.

According to the newspaper, the Turkish Supreme Court of Appeals prosecutor delivered the state’s request to Llala.

Tirana is currently hosting the International Association of Prosecutor’s (IAP) Conference, which is devoted to the topic of "New Investigative Approaches to Tackle Criminal Organizations using Internet." The event began on Monday and is scheduled to run until Wednesday. Prosecutors from various regional and European states, including Turkey, have arrived to attend the conference.

Ankara accused Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who has been living in the US state of Pennsylvania since 1999, and his followers, of playing a key role in the military coup that took place in Turkey on July 15. Gulen has refuted the allegations against him.

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