Anadolu said Sunday former police chief Huseyin Capkin and three other top city officials have been detained for their suspected links with the movement led by US -based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen.
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Erdogan and Obama also addressed Sunday the extradition of USA -based Fetullah Gulen, who Turkey says he is the leader of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which is accused of fomenting the July 15 coup attempt.
“This is the first opportunity that I’ve had to meet face-to-face with President Erdogan since the bad attempted coup that took place in July”.
Tensions between the two North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies have risen sharply since the failed coup attempt against Erdogan on July 15, with Ankara launching a wide-ranging crackdown and demanding that the U.S. extradite Gulen. Gulen denies any involvement. “I indicated at the time the unequivocal condemnation of these actions and spoke personally to president Erdogan to offer any support that we might be able to provide in both ending the attempted coup, but also in investigating and bringing perpetrators of these illegal actions to justice”, Obama said.
Since July, Ankara has detained, removed, or arrested tens of thousands of people within the judiciary, military, education system and police force for alleged links to Gulen’s movement or the coup itself. Tensions have also been strained by Turkey’s bombing of US-backed Kurdish positions in northern Syria.
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A US delegation, including three officials from the US Justice Ministry and one from the US Foreign Ministry, arrived in Ankara in August to discuss FETO leader Gulen’s extradition and analyze the evidence Turkey will grant.
