President Erdogan has strengthened his rule on the country following the attempted coup, which is being blamed on supporters of US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen.
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During a speech delivered before several global investors, Erdogan said, “Now I ask: Does the West give support to terror or not?”
When it was allied with Erdogan’s government in the past, the Gulen movement was believed to have been behind a series of crackdowns on pro-secular figures as well as military officers accused at the time of plotting a coup.
“I recognize that of course that there is a need for taking on those who are behind this coup and also on this secret network which had been in the state institutions, in the army and also in the judiciary”, Jagland said after talks with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
While the president said Turkey’s free market economy won’t be interrupted by a state of emergency, much of his focus in the televised national address was on the political aftermath of the coup – including criticism of the West’s response.
Turning directly on Washington over its hosting of Gulen, he asked: “How can it be, when we are strategic partners… you keep on hiding and sheltering him?”
Gulen, who has lived in exile since 1999 after charges were laid against him by Turkey’s then secular authorities, has vehemently denied from his Pennsylvania compound all accusations of involvement in the coup.
“In some European airports, unfortunately there are ads that say ‘don’t go to Turkey, your trip would strengthen Erdogan,”‘ he said, without naming them.
The president said Turkey had sent Germany more than 4,000 files on what he said were wanted terrorists, but Germany did nothing.
Since the July 15 coup, Turkey has ordered the shutdown of scores of media outlets, including three news agencies, 16 television channels and 45 newspapers, Andalou reported.
Turkish officials, meanwhile, say they have sent a second set of documents to the USA government detailing why it is urgent to arrest Gulen, whom Ankara regards as leading a terrorist organization.
Economic indicators point to a recovery following the coup attempt, while the central banks foreign-exchange reserves have increase above $125 billion, Erdogan said.
Additionally, while US courts won’t assess concerns about the fair treatment of suspects in a country requesting extradition, the issue could still arise because extradition is “ultimately a political decision” by the United States, he said.
Yildirim said civilian authorities had taken over factories and shipyards that had been under the control of the military as part of the ongoing restructuring.
Recalling the deal Turkey and the European Union reached in recent months to halt the flow of migrants to Europe, Erdoğan said: “It was us who protected Europe from the flow of 3 million Syrians”.
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“We should not forget that they will be able to return to their duties if allegations about them proved baseless after necessary interrogations and investigations are over”, he noted.
