To allay Turkish concerns, US officials warned the Kurds against advancing on Jarablus and said they would not support a move on the city with USA air power.
Advertisement
The U.S. hopes that demonstrations of solidarity can ease the tensions and allow for improved cooperation in the fight against Islamic State. Turkey accuses Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric in self-exile in Pennsylvania, of leading the coup plot.
Biden said that were Obama to order Gulen’s extradition without due process, the president could face impeachment. “I want to ease any speculation, some of which I have heard, as to whether or not the USA had some advance warning, some foreknowledge or complicity”, Biden said.
As Biden and Yıldırım met, the US and Turkey undertook an ultimately successful joint operation to route ISIS from the town of Jarabulus.
At the press conference, Erdogan also confirmed the Free Syrian Army (FSA), Syria’s opposition forces, has forced the militants in Jarablus of northern Syria out with the help of Turkish forces and the USA -led coalition forces. He said Gulen “should be taken into pre-trial detention” by the USA, in part to prevent him from being interviewed by journalists, and is “currently managing and directing a terrorist organization where he lives”.
“Our American experts are on the ground, here in Ankara, meeting with your people, closely coordinating with our Turkish counterparts, to evaluate and gather material with regard to Turkish request to extradite Gulen”, Joe Biden told a joint news conference with the Turkish president.
Earlier, Biden toured the sections of parliament damaged during the coup attempt. The Obama administration says it must follow an established judicial process and that the final decision will be up to an independent US court. “Only a federal court can do that”.
Sky News reported that Biden said the U.S. will provide all the needed assistance by Turkey in its journey to reinforce democracy.
He added that the U.S. has “no, no, no, no interest whatsoever in protecting anyone who has done harm to an ally. None. But we need to meet the legal standard requirement under our law”.
Advertisement
“Were a president to attempt to do that, it would be an impeachable offense”, he said.
