Egypt says it has not received asylum request from Fethullah Gülen

Egypt says it has not received asylum request from Fethullah Gülen

CAIRO - Reuters

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (R) attends a meeting with Egypt's Prime Minister Sherif Ismail (2nd R) and members of the government's Economic Ministerial Committee to discuss future economic indicators and figures of the general budget and the results of the talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at the Ittihadiya presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt July 27, 2016 in this handout picture courtesy of the Egyptian Presidency - REUTERS photo

Egypt has not received any request for political asylum from U.S.-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, Prime Minister Sherif Ismail has said, in comments reported by the state news agency MENA late on July 27. 

Egypt would study such a request if it was made, Ismail added. 

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) says what it calls the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) was behind the July 15 failed coup attempt. 

Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ told broadcaster Habertürk TV on July 28 that Gülen could flee the United States to Australia, Mexico, Canada, South Africa or Egypt.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has said that FETÖ infiltrated into state institutions in Kyrgyzstan and that it poses a threat to the country’s national security.

“If a coup will take place in Kyrgyzstan, it will be FETÖ that would do it. They have also infiltrated into state institutions there. We have called the state officials and told them,” Çavuşoğlu told broadcaster CNN Türk on July 28.