In particular, Votel suggested the USA had lost key Turkish military interlocutors who are now in jail and accused of being behind the coup.
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Votel leads U.S. Central Command, which overseas U.S. military operations in the Middle East. The general issued a statement Friday refuting “any report” that he had anything to do with the coup attempt in Turkey as “unfortunate and completely inaccurate”.
Turkish media close to Islamist president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused retired four-star General John F Campbell of arranging the Turkish military’s attempt to overthrow the government on July 15.
Turkey has turned to Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria, in its continued crackdown on all elements linked to the failed coup of July 15.
Erdogan also harshly criticized some countries which they did not offer any condolences over the failed coup and its many victims.
Erdogan angrily snapped back on Friday.
“Instead of thanking this country which repelled a coup attempt, you take the side of the coup plotters”.
Turkey has embarked on a major military reshuffle after the putsch, which Ankara blames on US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen and his followers.
He said Defense Secretary Ash Carter received assurances from his Turkish counterpart that the fight against Islamic State militants won’t be affected.
Mr Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, has denied any prior knowledge of the coup.
Western governments and human rights groups have condemned the coup, in which at least 246 people were killed and more than 2,000 injured, but have also expressed concern over the scale and depth of the purges, fearing that Erdogan may be using them to get rid of opponents and tighten his grip on power. “So I feel that all factions of society, politicians first and foremost, will behave accordingly with this new reality, this new sensitive situation before us”, Erdogan said. “I am concerned about what the impact is on those relationships”, Votel said at the Aspen Security Forum, a think tank in Colorado, according to local media. “Know your place”, the Turkish leader said, hinting that USA officials may have supported the coup.
USA national intelligence director, James Clapper, had also said on Thursday that Turkey’s crackdown was disrupting Turkish-American military co-operation in fighting IS.
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The Turkish government has dismissed more than 1,223 officers from the army, including 130 generals, since the failed coup attempt. Cakil said that he had contacted Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama and the chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari, to request the closure of the schools.
