Turkey blames followers of Fethullah Gulen, who has lived in exile in the United States since 1999, for the coup bid, which saw a faction of the military commandeer tanks, planes and helicopters in an attempt to topple the government.
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Members of Patriotic Party shout slogans as they demonstrate against the visit of U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph F. Dunford in front of the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, August 1, 2016.
Ahead of the meeting Dunford had said he would “deliver messages condemning in the strongest terms the recent coup attempt and reaffirming the importance of our enduring partnership for regional security”.
In a statement responding to Erdogan, Amnesty said it had “repeatedly condemned the appalling violence committed by those behind the 15 July failed coup attempt”. Those we considered friends are siding with coup-plotters and terrorists..
Erdogan repeated a complaint that no foreign leader had visited Turkey after the failed coup, while France and Belgium received visits in solidarity after terror attacks there. “Nobody had any imagination that they could start a military coup, killing people and shelling parliament”. “Bravo! The courts in Germany work very fast!” he said with heavy irony.
He also noted that it is Turkey that must give the worldwide community a guarantee of compliance with the principles of autonomy and independence of the judiciary as well as give answers on the extremely serious dismissals and arrests of thousands of judges after the coup attempt. “This is a clear double standard”.
The government has conducted a sweeping crackdown on those suspected of supporting Gulen’s movement, which runs schools, charities and businesses across the world, vowing to root out the movement’s followers.
That stance has angered Erdogan and has led to strains in the two countries’ relations.
Turkey’s government has said the deadly overthrow attempt that martyred more than 230 people and injured almost 2,200 others was organized by followers of Gülenist Terror Organization, FETÖ, leader Fetullah Gülen.
“I personally helped this structure despite differences of opinion on many issues due to a belief that we can agree at least on common denominators”, Erdogan said.
The decree, signed by President Erdogan, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and Isik, reportedly said 94 generals in land forces, 22 admirals, 44 generals in the air force and seven others have been reappointed.
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Economists including Atilla Yesilada at Globalsource Partners Inc. have said the crackdown on officials and companies accused of sympathizing with the coup plotters may be large enough to intensify an expected slowdown in economic growth this year, and S&P Global Ratings on Monday raised its risk assessment for Turkey to “high” from “moderately high”. “Sorry, but everything has a price”.
