Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at the U.S. Friday and criticized a senior military commander who had expressed concerns that the violent July 15 coup could have longer-term impact on U.S. relations with the Turkish military.
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Cook said that while USA and Turkish officials “talk every day”, he could not say whether or not any senior US defense or military officials had reached out to Erdogan Friday to specifically discuss or refute the latest accusations.
“Instead of thanking this nation that quashed the coup in the name of democracy, on the contrary you are taking sides with the coup plotters”, Erdogan said, adding, “Besides, the coup plotter is in your country anyway”.
Mr Erdogan also said: “My people know who is behind this scheme. they know who the superior intelligence behind it is, and with these statements you are revealing yourselves, you are giving yourselves away”.
The head of U.S. Central Command, General Joseph Votel, said he believed some of the military figures whom the United States had worked with were in jail.
“We have certainly had relationships with a lot of Turkish leaders – military leaders in particular”.
Accusations by Erdogan and other government officials of direct involvement by the U.S. military and intelligence agencies, or retired military personnel, have become commonplace in the days since the attempted July 15 coup.
Those comments drew a condemnation on Friday from Erdogan.
“Those linked to FETO are being suspended while others who have links to FETO coup attempt are being fired from various state departments”.
“The Akinci Air Base in Ankara, the center for the heinous coup plot, will be closed”.
People with Turkish flags gather at the 15 July martyrs square in Ankara, Turkey, on Friday, July 29, 2016.
“We are closing all the barracks in Ankara and Istanbul that sent out coup tanks [and] helicopters”, Yildirim said.
Turkey is removing potential supporters of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen from state institutions.
Steinmeier said bringing back the death penalty would be “a major step backward” for Turkey.
Gulen has condemned the coup attempt and denied any involvement in the violence.
Turkey has said that it is preparing a request for Gulen’s extradition from the United States but Washington has not confirmed the receipt of a formal request, which should include evidence of the guilt of the cleric.
The top diplomat also dismissed speculations that the ongoing developments in Turkey are likely to undermine his country’s role in the US-led military coalition against Daesh in Syria.
Not so, insists Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who shrugged off the concerns, telling reporters on Friday that Turkey’s armed forces, “cleansed” of their Gulenist elements, would prove more “trustworthy … and effective” allies against so-called Islamic State.
Twenty-one journalists also appeared in an Istanbul court after being rounded up in the sweeping purge, which has seen nearly 16,000 people detained since the failed July 15 putsch.
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He and the two other executives – Sukru and Halit Boydak – were detained at their homes. Police are trying to detain former chairman Haci Boydak as well as Ilyas and Bekir Boydak.
