Press TV :
The development came as Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan insisted in a televised address on Saturday evening that Washington should turn Gulen over to Ankara, saying Turkey had never turned back any extradition request for “terrorists” by the US and pointing to his nation’s cooperation with the United States “in fighting terrorism,” AP reported. “I say if we are strategic partners then you should bring about our request,” he said as quoted in the report.
Secretary of State John Kerry stated, however, that Ankara would have to prove any wrongdoing by the US-based and former Erdogan ally, Gulen, who left Turkey back in 1999.
“We fully anticipate that there will be questions raised about Mr. Gulen,” Kerry said in a press briefing during a visit to Luxembourg. “And obviously we would invite the government of Turkey, as we always do, to present us with any legitimate evidence that withstands scrutiny. And the United States will accept that and look at it and make judgments about it appropriately.”
While Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has blamed Gulen’s supporters for the failed coup, the opposition figure has rejected any involvement in the event.
Gulen has harshly condemned the attempted coup by military officers leading to a night of explosions, air battles and gunfire that left dozens of people and security forces dead.
Erdogan’s government, however, is blaming the religious figure, who lives in the US state of Pennsylvania and promotes a philosophy that reportedly blends a mystical form of Islam with strong advocacy of democracy, education, science and interfaith dialogue.
US President Barack Obama urged all sides in Turkey, a major NATO ally, to back what he referred to as the democratically elected government in Ankara.
The development came as Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan insisted in a televised address on Saturday evening that Washington should turn Gulen over to Ankara, saying Turkey had never turned back any extradition request for “terrorists” by the US and pointing to his nation’s cooperation with the United States “in fighting terrorism,” AP reported. “I say if we are strategic partners then you should bring about our request,” he said as quoted in the report.
Secretary of State John Kerry stated, however, that Ankara would have to prove any wrongdoing by the US-based and former Erdogan ally, Gulen, who left Turkey back in 1999.
“We fully anticipate that there will be questions raised about Mr. Gulen,” Kerry said in a press briefing during a visit to Luxembourg. “And obviously we would invite the government of Turkey, as we always do, to present us with any legitimate evidence that withstands scrutiny. And the United States will accept that and look at it and make judgments about it appropriately.”
While Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has blamed Gulen’s supporters for the failed coup, the opposition figure has rejected any involvement in the event.
Gulen has harshly condemned the attempted coup by military officers leading to a night of explosions, air battles and gunfire that left dozens of people and security forces dead.
Erdogan’s government, however, is blaming the religious figure, who lives in the US state of Pennsylvania and promotes a philosophy that reportedly blends a mystical form of Islam with strong advocacy of democracy, education, science and interfaith dialogue.
US President Barack Obama urged all sides in Turkey, a major NATO ally, to back what he referred to as the democratically elected government in Ankara.
