Since then Mr Erdogan has been ruthless in crushing those he believes were behind the coup, as well as those who had sympathy for it.
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Erdogan didn’t mention General Joseph Votel by name, but it was clear whom he was railing against. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper also said on Thursday that the government’s backlash has “affected all segments of the national security apparatus in Turkey.Many of our interlocutors have been purged or arrested”.
Two senior generals reportedly resigned from their posts yesterday morning after nearly 1,700 military personnel were dishonourably discharged for their alleged role in the attempt to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The agency said that according to military sources, during a phone call after the coup’s attempt in Turkey, Dunford condemned the Turkish authorities’ decision to cut the power and fuel supply to the Incirlik and Diyarbakır air bases.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shakes hands with supporters outside the Osmanli mosque in Ankara on Thursday.
Putting them under the president’s overall direction would be in line with Erdogan’s push for a new constitution centred on a strong executive presidency.
There were 290 people killed in the coup, and thousands have been detained.
“The US general [Joseph Votel] stands on the coup plotters’ side with his words”.
Twenty-one journalists are appearing in court in Istanbul after being detained as part of a sweeping crackdown following Turkey’s July 15 failed military coup.
He called on Turkey’s regional partners and the global community to take effective measures to prevent the activities of this group in their countries.
Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania but whose movement has a wide following in Turkey where it runs a large network of schools, has denied any involvement in the failed putsch.
Taha Ozhan, the head of the foreign affairs committee in Turkish parliament, said in an interview that he’ll lead a delegation to Washington next week to do just that.
“Why such a rumour would still be propagated or still be able to find purchase over there, I couldn’t begin to guess”, said State Department spokesman John Kirby.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu defended the detention of reporters, saying it was necessary to distinguish between coup plotters and those “who are engaged in real journalism”.
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“Any reporting that I had anything to do with the recent unsuccessful coup attempt in Turkey is unfortunate and completely inaccurate”, Votel said in a statement. Turkey has requested the extrication of Gulen, who is now in self-imposed exile in the US.
