Turkey has been incensed by the US’ refusal to hand over cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara believes organized the attempted coup.
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“NATO counts on the continued contributions of Turkey, and Turkey can count on the solidarity and support of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.” .
The warrants were issued in connection with the investigation into supporters of Fethullah Gulen, a cleric living in the USA, and their alleged role in the failed coup attempt of 15 July.
Bilateral ties, latest developments in the region and global issues are among the topics that are expected to be on the agenda of the meetings.
“Turkey wanted to cooperate with North Atlantic Treaty Organisation members up to this point”, the minister said.
Gulden has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, USA, for decades with Erdogan calling on the US to send him back to Turkey. “We have always called on Russia to carry out anti-Daesh (ISIS) operations together”, he added, though made no mention of the fact that Turkey has previously condemned Russian airstrikes as “a war crime”.
“The result is that every extradition request becomes a case-by-case analysis, guided by the moment’s prevailing global political winds”.
Turkey’s North Atlantic Treaty Organisation membership is not in question, the alliance said in a statement on Tuesday.
The meeting, held at St Petersburg, is a revival of relations between Russia and Turkey after a Russian warplane was shot down over the Turkey-Syria border by the Turkish airforce on November 24.
Turkey considers the cleric and his followers terrorists. Such a move would likely end Turkey’s ambitions to join the European Union. “After the extradition file is prepared, we will go to the USA with the justice minister to repeat our demand with this evidence, files and information”.
In the wake of the failed takeover, the government has conducted massive arrest campaigns, detaining thousands of individuals from the military, schools and universities, health services and the media.
Turkey is NATO’s second largest military power after the United States and is a crucial ally as the West faces unprecedented conflict and upheaval across the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Ankara continues to wrestle with terror threats. He added the next administration in Syria “should be a secular one”.
Cavusoglu also said real time communication was also needed between the two countries’ presidents and military officials, suggesting that a hotline should be established.
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Initial assessments indicate Kurdish militants were behind both attacks, the official said.
