Turkey has demanded the United States extradite Fethullah Gulen, a preacher living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania whom it accuses of being behind the violent July 15 coup attempt that left 290 people dead. It is accusing Western nations of not extending sufficient support to its efforts to counter further threats from followers of the Gulen movement, which it says have infiltrated the country’s state institutions.
Turkey considers Gulen’s movement a terrorist organization. Gulen has denied any prior knowledge of the plot. The United States has asked Turkey for evidence of his involvement, and said the US extradition process must take its course.
“Instead of thanking this nation that quashed the coup in the name of democracy, on the contrary, you are taking sides with the coup plotters,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an angry speech Friday at a police special forces headquarters in Ankara. The facility was bombed and fired upon during the attempted coup, and 47 police officers were killed.
“The putschist is already in your country,” Erdogan said on Friday, Reuters reported.
The Turkish president also lashed out at a US military official who expressed concern that the failed coup may have longer-term effects on the US-led fight against Daesh (ISIL).
Gen. Joseph Votel said Thursday the unrest could affect US relations with the Turkish military, noting that some of its leaders have been jailed.
“We’ve certainly had relationships with a lot of Turkish leaders, military leaders in particular. And so I’m concerned about what the impact is on those relationships as we continue to move forward,” Votel said at the Aspen Security Forum.
Erdogan criticized the comment.
“It’s not up to you to make that decision. Who are you? Know your place,” he said, and hinted the US could be behind the failed plot.
“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,” he said.
Votel Friday rejected claims that he supported a failed coup attempt earlier this month.
“Any reporting that I had anything to do with the recent unsuccessful coup attempt in Turkey is unfortunate and completely inaccurate,” Votel said in the statement from US Central Command late of Friday.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Turkey would shut down an air base on the outskirts of Ankara that the coup plotters used as their headquarters. He said several army barracks used in the attempted coup would be moved away from Ankara and Istanbul.