Erdogan, speaking before a crowd of thousands at a pro-democracy rally, again called for USA officials to hand over Gulen, referring to him as the head of the “Fethullahist Terrorist Organization”. One homeland. One state.
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During President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to St. Petersburg Tuesday, Turkey and Russian Federation agreed to establish a joint committee on Syria; members of the Turkish committee travelled to Russian Federation on Thursday.
Erdogan visited Russia’s second city of Saint Petersburg on Tuesday – his first trip overseas since the July 15 coup attempt.
“Democracy rallies”, largely attended by Erdogan supporters but also some parts of the opposition, have been held night after night since the putsch. You can also use the Guardian app and search for “GuardianWitness assignments”.
“At this stage, Erdogan can play a unifier, which he has not done much in the past… or he can return to his divisive political platform”.
Cakil had late last month revealed that the Turkish government had requested the closure of 17 school in Nigeria with links to the alleged mastermind of the botched coup plot, US-based Turk, Fetullah Gulen.
“I think until now they have no clear decision because it’s clear that their interests are colliding in Syria”, said Alexander Golts, a Moscow-based independent military analyst and visiting researcher at Uppsula University in Sweden.
“We will return these traitors to Turkey”, Cavusoglu said.
Turkey has also asked Athens to return eight suspected coup-plotters who fled Turkey in a helicopter, just after the coup was quashed.
But Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli enjoyed an even bigger surge in support with his approval levels reaching 40 percent, an increase of 23 percent.
All opposition parties denounced the putsch, and many members of the public are exhausted of the coups which have dogged Turkey since 1960.
“Erdogan will play a unified role, excluding the HDP and Kurdish nationalists”.
Syria has been torn apart by a five-year conflict that has left hundreds of thousands of victims dead and millions displaced, with Turkey alone sheltering more than 2.7 million Syrians.
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Russian Federation and Turkey are taking unprecedented steps to directly coordinate actions in Syria after a rapprochement between their presidents and despite disagreeing over support for Damascus.
