At the same time, the government has shut down several media outlets, including 16 television channels and three news agencies that are said to be supportive of Fethullah Gulen, the US-based exile and businessman blamed by the Turkish government for the failed coup attempt.
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Those remarks triggered an angry response Friday from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the target of the coup plot, who lashed out during a speech in Ankara at what he said was meddling from the United States. Last week, Pentagon officials said about 100 dependents remained in Turkey.
Votel leads U.S. Central Command, which overseas U.S. military operations in the Middle East.
Votel said while normal operations have resumed at Incirlik, he is anxious about “longer-term” impacts from the failed coup on counter-terrorism operations.
Late on Thursday Turkey announced a shake-up of its armed forces, NATO’s second-largest, with the promotion of 99 colonels to the rank of general or admiral and the dishonourable discharge of almost 1,700 military personnel over their alleged roles in the coup.
The crackdown is targeting alleged followers of Fethullah Gulen, the Pennsylvania-based cleric Erdogan blames for the uprising.
Erdogan also said: “My people know who is behind this scheme. they know who the superior intelligence behind it is, and with these statements you are revealing yourselves, you are giving yourselves away”.
‘Instead of thanking this country which repelled a coup attempt, you take the side of the coup plotters. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper also said on Thursday that the government’s backlash has “affected all segments of the national security apparatus in Turkey…”
Gen Votel said on Thursday that Mr Erdogan’s campaign to stamp out dissent was “something to be very, very concerned about”.
President Barack Obama last week denied any U.S. role in the coup, telling reporters that reports to the contrary are “completely false, unequivocally false”, and that the USA and Turkey have a “critical alliance and partnership”. Of those discharged, 149 were either generals or admirals.
In response, Erdogan lashed out at Votel, saying the USA general was not in a position to make such comments and meddle in the internal affairs of Turkey.
Sources close to Gulen, who is accused of motivating the coup attempt, asserted that the Turkish preacher didn’t leave the United States and didn’t ask for political asylum to any other country, while Egypt denied it has received such a request from him.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday also expressed deep concerns about the ongoing wave of arrests in Turkey following the attempted coup.
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“There’s no question this is going to set back and make more hard cooperation with the Turks” when it comes to intelligence, especially in counterterrorism, Clapper said.
