Whether the USA hands him over or grants his request for asylum, they’re likely to get a considerable backlash, either from the worldwide community in general or from Turkey. Some of those generals worked closely with senior USA officers in other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation commands, officials tell NPR.
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Anadolu did not say on Wednesday whether the U.S. had accepted Rear Admiral Mustafa Zeki Ugurlu’s claim, which comes at a time of strained relations between Washington and Ankara. Turkey issued a detention order against him last month.
Ugurlu had not been heard from since July 22 when he left the base, it said.
The Turkish president is calling on the United States to choose between Turkey or FETO, an acronym for the “Gulen Terror Group”. Cavusoglu also said real time communication was also needed between the two presidents and the military officials of the two countries.
A high ranking Turkish official who asked to remain anonymous told Reuters they were summoned back as part of investigations into the failed July coup.
The Turkish president once more suggested he sees no difference between terrorist groups such as the PKK, ISIL and US -based preacher Fetullah Gulen’s FETO.
“We are working to bring both these traitors back to Turkey”, he said, without detailing the allegations against the men.
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Evans said 123 Turkish military personnel were participating in the U.S. International Military Education and Training Program in the continental United States as of August 9.
Turkey has been angered by the Western response to the attempted coup, viewing Europe as more concerned about the rights of the plotters than the events themselves and the United States as reluctant to extradite Gulen.
Ahead of his trip to Russia, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he’s hoping for a “clean slate” between the two countries, NPR’s Peter Kenyon reports. Gulen has repeatedly denied any involvement. It may take years before they could actually get him extradited even if they could.
Previously, Erdogan said that organization led by Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen has made efforts to undermine Turkey-Russia relations. “Turkey has notified North Atlantic Treaty Organisation about the changeover of a number of Turkish military personnel”.
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.
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Putin gave his support to Turkey over the coup attempt and said he stood by the elected government, offering his condolences to the victims of the failed coup.
