Turkey’s justice minister has sent a document to the United States seeking the arrest of cleric Fethullah Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania and who Ankara accuses of instigating an attempted coup on July 15.
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Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to Televisa and reiterated his government’s demand for the extradition of US-based preacher Fetullah Gulen who Ankara alleges is the mastermind behind a deadly coup attempt last month.
Erdogan also angrily denounced the judicial authorities in Germany for not allowing him to address via video conference a rally in Cologne at the weekend in his support. “They have actors inside but the scenario of this coup was written overseas”. The coup attempt cost Turkey’s economy 300 billion liras ($100 billion), Hurriyet newspaper cited Customs Minister Bulent Tufenkci as saying.
“If you have any self-respect, you’ll come to Turkey. you’ll visit our (wounded) in hospital, and you’ll see who did what to whom”, Erdogan said. “Unfortunately, the West gives support to terror and stands on the side of coups”, Erdoğan said in an address to worldwide investors on August 2 in Ankara. Does the West side with democracy or the coup d’etat?
Turkish media had previously released information that both the Central Intelligence Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation had a hand in the coup by providing training and logistical support for the coup plotters.
Speaking in Ankara during a high level meeting with global investors, “What kind of partners are we if you request documents when we ask for a terrorist?”
Turkey has sent the USA a second request for the arrest of the Pennsylvania-based preacher, the Turkish Justice Minister announced Tuesday. The minister said the second letter explained why there was an urgent need for the arrest.
Erdogan insisted that the coup attempt may have been carried out inside Turkey, but the script was “written overseas”, adding that the Gulen Movement, which he has blamed for the coup, receives most of its funding through charter schools inside the United States.
“I would like to say there has been too little understanding from Europe on what challenges this has caused to the democratic and state institutions of Turkey”.
Gulen’s organization operates schools in 160 countries around the world. Erdogan said with heavy irony.
The violent attempted overthrow by elements of Turkey’s military, which fired on unarmed civilians, left more than 230 people dead.
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Separately, authorities issued 98 new detention warrants, including for military doctors, a senior government official said, on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
