Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Saturday urged the United States to extradite what he called ‘accused terrorist’ leader and ‘coup plotter’ Fetullah Gulen.
Addressing a cheering crowd in Istanbul 24 hours after his call for the public to take the streets helped end a coup, Erdogan said Turkey had asked the U.S. many times to extradite Pennsylvania-based preacher Gulen, an expatriate Turk.
“I had told you ( U.S.) to deport or give this person back to Turkey.”
“I had told you that this person was in a preparation for a coup against Turkey, but I could not make you listen to me,” Erdogan said.
Reiterating his demand, Erdogan said, “I repeat my call on the U.S. and president [Barack Obama], give this person back to Turkey.”
Erdogan also emphasized that Friday’s failed coup had not come from within the higher echelons of the army but instead “a small minority within the military.”
“They [Gulen supporters] were like a tumor within the military, and now this tumor is being removed,” he added.
Friday night saw military elements make a “vile” attempt to overthrow Turkey’s elected government, according to Prime Minister Binali Yildirim. Around 160 people were martyred in the ensuing violence.
Some 2,839 military personnel involved in the coup attempt have been arrested, and 20 pro-coup soldiers, including some senior officers, were killed in the attempt to overthrow the government.
Turkey’s opposition leaders decry coup attempt
The head of the Turkish Nationalist Party (MHP) Devlet Bahceli made a telephone call to Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on Friday and said the attempted coup is not acceptable.
According to a statement form the Turkish Prime Ministry, Bahceli said his party is in solidarity with Turkish Republic.
Later, in a written statement, Bahceli said an attempt at suspending democracy and ignoring the national will is a big mistake against Turkey.
“The price Turkey will pay will be considerably high in the event of a civil war in Turkey. As Turkish people, we need to be distant to all kinds of interventions risking our national unity and integrity,” he said.
In addition, Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, said early Saturday that the community should have a unified reaction to every coup attempt.
Speaking to Turkey’s private news channel NTV, Kilicidaroglu took a stand against a military coup attempt. “Community should give joint reaction to every coup attempt,” he said.