Secretary of State John Kerry said the USA would assist Turkey in the investigation of the failed coup attempt and invited Ankara to share any evidence it had against Mr Gulen. “I’m confident there will be some discussion about that”.
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Until 2013, Gulen was an ally of Erdogan, when their relationship broke down over a corruption scandal.
“I told you that he was engaged in coup plots but I was not listened to”.
Across the country the death toll included 161 mostly civilians and police officers, and 104 coup supporters, an official said, adding that a lawmaker died when the parliament was attacked by a helicopter. Erdogan, who had been holidaying on the southwest coast when the coup was launched, flew into Istanbul before dawn on Saturday and was shown on TV outside Ataturk Airport.
From his estate in the Poconos outside the village of Saylorsburg, Pa., Gulen – who is at the helm of a broad religious network that includes hundreds of schools across the world that promote a moderate version of Islam – denied any complicity in the takeover attempt.
“In Turkey the army is not governing the state and they can not, and this should be known by all”, said Erdogan, who was vacationing in southwest Turkey when the coup began, according to USA Today.
During his rare interview, Mr Gulen said it was “possible” the coup was staged by Mr Erdogan.
His AKP party has long had strained relations with the military, which has a history of mounting coups to defend secularism although it has not seized power directly since 1980.
The cleric condemned the attempted coup and said he played no role in it.
In response, Kerry “urged restraint by the Turkish government and respect for due process – and its worldwide obligations – as it investigates and uncovers additional information about those involved”.
He said that it was a tactically flawless move by the Turkish president when he was calling on the Turkish people to hit the streets to fight against the military coup.
Though he praised Erdogan’s swift return to control, the Canadian minister said “the use of military force was completely unacceptable”. The country that would stand behind this man is no friend to Turkey.
If successful, the overthrow of President Tayyip Erdogan, who has ruled Turkey since 2003, would amount to one of the biggest shifts in power in the Middle East in years.
Erdogan, who is trying to transform his Muslim-populated country from a traditional secular nation to one that observes Islamic customs more faithfully, has cracked down on political dissent and has sought constitutional changes to make his largely ceremonial office far more powerful.
Gulen went into self-imposed exile in the United States in 1999 and now lives in Pennsyvlania. He’s suffering from heart disease and diabetes and is rarely seen outside of the Golden Generation Worship & Retreat Center’s 26-acre spread.
“Well, everyone was, of course, very anxious at the beginning”, he tells KPCC.
“I have been away from Turkey for 30 years and have not been following this”. His followers were heavily represented in the police and justice systems. “They have confiscated properties and media organizations, broken doors and harassed people in a fashion similar to Hitler’s SS forces”, said Gulen, speaking through an interpreter.
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Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says the commander of Turkey’s 1st Army, Gen. Umit Dundar, has been appointed acting chief of military staff.
