Of the senior officers, 149 generals and admirals were dismissed effective Friday.
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But Cavusoglu, the foreign minister, insisted the journalists were not detained for their “journalistic activity”. But the housecleaning was widespread below that.
Joseph Votel, who leads U.S. Central Command, said the coup bid and subsequent round-up of Gulenist generals could affect American military cooperation with Turkey against Islamic State (IS). We appreciate Turkey’s continuing cooperation and look forward to our future partnership in the counter-ISIL fight’.
Mr Erdogan lashed out at the United States again yesterday after USA national intelligence director James Clapper complained about sweeping purges of the Turkish military. “Many of our interlocutors have been purged or arrested”.
Erdogan said the US was taking sides with coup plotters.
On July 25, Yeni Safak claimed that retired US Army General John F. Campbell, the former commander of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces in Afghanistan, was behind the foiled coup attempt.
Erdogan says Gulen harnessed his extensive network of schools, charities and businesses, built up in Turkey and overseas over decades, to create a secretive “parallel state” that aimed to take over the country.
The president said the ruling government needs to listen to people’s demand for the death penalty in the parliament. With such statements, you are just revealing yourself.
Clapper had already upset Erdogan after asserting last week, in response to a columnist’s question, that Erdogan’s allegations against Gulen didn’t pass the “smell test” of credibility. The U.S. has told Turkey to present evidence against Gulen and let the U.S. extradition process take its course.
“We need to make a distinction between those who cooperate with those who carried out the coup, those who supported it, and the real journalists”, he said. “Turkey will not be duped”, he added.
It was referring to Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric based in the United States. But she expressed concern the Turkish government’s crackdown may not be “proportional”.
Nearly 16,000 people have been detained so far in the nationwide crackdown, the magnitude of which has caused global alarm. “We are closing all the barracks in Ankara and Istanbul that sent out coup tanks (and) helicopters”.
“We are identifying the supporters of Fethullah Gulen one by one”.
The Turkish government reportedly revoked the licenses of 25 media outlets.
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On Thursday, Cavusoglu told local media CNN Turk that ties between Turkey and the USA would be impacted if the US did not hand over Gulen to Turkey. They are among 42 for whom detention orders were issued Monday, while authorities are searching for those still at large, the state-run Anadolu agency said. Gulen has denied knowledge.
