Gülen supporters under threat in Switzerland

The Turkish Embassy in Switzerland threatened on Friday to take legal action against local supporters of Fethullah Gülen, whom Turkish president Erdogan alleges is responsible for last week’s coup. The Swiss Federal Office of Justice responded that if it proceeds, Turkey will need to follow established legal channels. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been searching for those responsible for the July 15 coup attempt. At a press conference on Friday morning, the Turkish Ambassador ad interim, Volkan Karagöz, referred to Gülen’s movement as a terrorist organisation. Gülen – a former Erdogan supporter who now lives in exile in the United States – has been designated public enemy number one by Erdogan. There are hurdles to overcome if Turkey wants to prosecute potential coup supporters in Switzerland, the Federal Office of Justice told the Swiss News Agency. When a foreign country needs information from Switzerland for use in criminal proceedings, it is necessary to ...