Turkey on Saturday called on USA officials to detain an elderly Islamic leader based in the Poconos, who they blame for last month’s abortive Turkish military coup attempt that killed more than 200 people.
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The website said that “elements of the Turkish Armed forces” attempted a coup at key government and infrastructure locations in Ankara and Istanbul. He asked for an global inquiry into the coup, promising to accept punishment if he were found responsible.
“The only way to prevent the rising (negative) sentiment against America is for the U.S.to hand over this man and make sure Turkey’s justice system holds him accountable”.
Ekrem Beyaztas was caught by border guards just south of the Turkish town of Kilis, a Turkish official said, asking not to be named.
Yildirim said a USA technical team would visit Turkey on August 22 to discuss legal issues relating to the possible extradition, according to Anadolu.
“Remember the Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey is key to the USA airstrikes in Syria and Iraq”.
Though allies, the US and Turkey support rival factions in the Syrian civil war, which has sent more than a million refugees fleeing to Turkey, with many going on to Europe. The trip comes at a time of strained relations between Ankara and Washington over demands that the USA turn over an Islamic cleric blamed for organizing the coup attempt.
“In contrast to Western leaders, Putin is using the occasion to reset Russian-Turkish relations”, said Kemal Kirisci of the Brookings Institution.
The Istanbul chief prosecutor sent a letter to US authorities asking for Gulen’s detention, CNN Turk said. -Kurdish alliance, complaining the Syrian Kurds are allied to Kurdish separatists in Turkey, who have killed Turkish police, military and civilians in gun and bomb attacks.
Turkey has been angered by what it sees as lukewarm condemnation by its Western allies of the abortive July 15-16 putsch against President Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish government, and Western criticism of a subsequent purge of military, judiciary and civil servants.
Separately, a senior intelligence officer said operatives linked to Gulen have had an active relationship with PKK militants.
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Turkey is also seeking more than 30 diplomats who fled to other countries after they were recalled to Ankara as part of the post-coup investigation. North Atlantic Treaty Organisation responded by calling Turkey a “valued ally”. But Turkey has not said clearly whether it has filed a formal extradition request.
