“Any reporting that I had anything to do with the recent unsuccessful coup attempt in Turkey is unfortunate and completely inaccurate”, Votel said in a July 29 statement.
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Commenting on Ankara’s fighting the movement of Fethullah Gulen, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey and Azerbaijan are members of one family, the TRT Haber news channel reported Aug.4.
In New York, Taha Ozhan, chairman of the Turkish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Commission who is leading a delegation to brief US officials on the failed coup, said “Gulen orchestrated the coup” and continued to pose threat to Turkey.
The warrant further asserts that high-ranking members of the organization working in state institutions conspired to carry out the coup after receiving “instructions” from Gulen, subsequently committing multiple crimes including shooting and killing civilians and attacking several government buildings.
Ankara has repeatedly called on the United States to extradite Gulen but has not yet made a formal extradition request.
“If the coup attempt had been successful, Turkey could be in a civil war today, where a large number of people could lose their lives”, he said.
The delegation instead held meetings with Belgian deputies, Turkish community leaders and other Belgian state officials.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accuses Gulen of orchestrating the failed putsch and harnessing an extensive network of schools, charities and businesses in Turkey and overseas to infiltrate state institutions.
But in Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan refuses to accept what he sees as stalling over his demand that the United States turn over clergyman Fethullah Gulen without delay.
Mr Erdogan also asked forgiveness over his past alliance with Gulen whom Ankara blames for last month’s attempted coup.
Since the failed coup attempt about 70,000 people have either been dismissed from job or suspended by the Erdogan government.
The United States has long experience in handling hard situations with Turkey, he said.
“Without doubt, this organisation has an extension in the business world”.
“We will cut off all their business links, all the revenues of Gulen-linked businesses”, Erdogan added in a speech to the heads of chambers of commerce in Ankara. In 2014, Turkey opened an investigation into the organization’s activities.
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“It is our responsibility to warn countries that have (Gulen-linked) schools”, Eker said.
