It’s doubtful the U.S. would have actively supported the coup attempt.
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A faction of the Turkish military took over state TV, imposed martial law and a curfew and attacked the police headquarters in the capital of Ankara on Friday night.
The government has accused US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, who has been living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, of being responsible. Turkey has a vital role as a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation member bridging Europe and the Middle East, and as a host to anti-Islamic State aircraft and dozens of nuclear weapons. Turkey has demanded that the US extradite him, which the USA has refused to do without evidence supporting the Turkish officials’ claim.
Elsewhere, at Istanbul’s Fatih Mosque, Erodgan spoke at the funeral of the brother one of his advisors. “I do not see Turkey, the president trying to modify the base agreement because of the coup”.
According to earlier reports, there were soldiers at the base involved in the coup attempt who have already been arrested.
A onetime ally of Erdogan himself, Gulen has denied being behind alleged plots to overthrow the government. Erdogan was at the time allied with Gulen, and Erdogan was jailed himself on similar accusations in 1999.
“This country suffered a lot in the hands of the Gulen movement”, Erdogan told supporters. About 265 people were killed and hundreds more arrested.
He was previously implicated in a wiretapping scandal which leaked secret communications between government officials to the internet, purportedly revealing instances of corruption among ministers and bureaucrats loyal to Erdogan.
USA forces “were adjusting flight operations in the counter-ISIL campaign to minimize any effects on the campaign”, he said, apparently suggesting missions against IS – also known as ISIL – could launch from other locations. At least 161 people died in the violence before the coup was defeated.
The US military has a total of around 2,200 service members and civilian employees in Turkey, which is a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation member and a crucial regional partner for Washington.
A military helicopter landed late Saturday at Greece’s Alexandroupoli airport carrying eight Turkish officers.
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Whatever happens, veteran Turkey watchers said they were flabbergasted by the coup attempt, given that Mr. Erdogan appeared to have a near-monopoly on power. One Syrian opposition official told Reuters while the coup attempt was underway: “If the coup succeeds, that will have a negative impact on the revolution [in Syria]”. The officers have applied for political asylum. Bombs were dropped on the parliament building and the presidential palace in Ankara.
