The matter is likely to come up when US Vice President Joe Biden travels to Ankara for an official trip on Wednesday.
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“A third issue concerns the use of the Incirlik airbase which is “… controlled by the Turkish and United States air forces”, according to Abet, and which should be addressed while Biden is in Turkey.
Biden will meet with Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim to emphasize “ongoing strong support” for Turkey after the foiled coup, the White House said Monday.
“Under American law no president of the United States has authority to extradite anyone on his own power”.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden visited Ankara on Wednesday in a bid to fix an alliance frayed by the attempted military coup in Turkey in July and tensions over efforts to combat the Islamic State.
The United States confirmed Tuesday that Turkey had made a “formal” request for the extradition of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara blames for last month´s coup attempt, but specified the request was not linked to the failed putsch. Gulen has denied any involvement in the coup attempt.
“I understand the intense feeling your government and the people of Turkey have about [Gulen]”.
“But we will continue to work closely with Turkish government as process unfolds”.
A US delegation began meetings with Turkish counterparts on Tuesday to discuss the Gulen network’s activities.
“We have no, no, no, no interest whatsoever in protecting anyone who has done harm to an ally”.
“We will tell him that FETO’s leader is in your country”, Erdogan said, using an acronym for “Gulenist Terror Organization”, the name Ankara has given Gulen’s network. The Obama administration says it must follow an established judicial process and that the final decision will be up to an independent USA court.
“Clearly President Erdogan is sending a message by getting closer to Russian Federation and Iran that he’s unhappy with the attitude of the West”, said Bulent Aliriza, a Turkey analyst at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday pledged to do everything to help bring those behind the July 15 coup attempt to justice.
It is “totally understandable why the people of Turkey are angry”, he added. At one point after the coup attempt, the Turkish government temporarily cut off power to Incirlik Air Base, which Biden called a “linchpin” of USA anti-ISIS efforts. The U.S. has been careful not to criticize Turkey publicly to avoid undercutting the overall U.S. message of support for Turkey’s government. “The United States of America did not have any foreknowledge of what befell you on the 15th”, Biden said. The U.S. has not been given evidence on Gulen.
Before the new conference, the vice president also toured the parliament building, badly damaged by air strikes during the coup attempt, with the Speaker of Parliament Ismail Kahraman and Biden noted the psychological impact the damage has on the public.
A small group of young demonstrators protested Biden’s motorcade as he headed to Yildirim’s residence, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
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Turkish officials warn that if he is not extradited, relations will suffer further and anti-American sentiment will deepen in the country. Biden hopes to smooth relations, but has limited leverage.
