Alwaght- The Turkish government has censured the United States, for giving refuge to Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of planning Friday’s military coup attempt.
The cleric, is currently living in self-imposed exile in the US state of Pennsylvania.
“I do not see any country that would stand behind this man, this leader of the terrorist gang, especially after last night. The country that would stand behind this man is no friend to Turkey. It would even be a hostile act against Turkey,” Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım told reporters on Saturday, as Turkey was recovering from overnight violence.
Prime Minister said Turkey has already delivered its request of extradition for Gulen.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who spoke late on July 15 to his Turkish counterpart Cavusoglu, said: "We haven't received any request with respect to Mr. Gulen."
Gulen, a cleric, was a political ally of President Reccep Tayyib Erdogan when he was Turkey’s Prime Minister, but the two fell out and became bitter rivals. Ankara accuses Gulen of creating a “parallel state” in the form of a network of supporters among Turkish officials. Erdogan accused Gulen of masterminding a corruption scandal involving senior government figures in 2013, and launched a crackdown against his organization.
A faction of the Turkish military attempted to topple the government overnight, but failed in its bid. The attempted power grab involved tanks and helicopters, as government buildings were attacked and violent clashes erupted between government loyalists and rebels in Istanbul and Ankara.
The hostilities left over 260 people killed and many others injured. The government has responded to the coup by initiating a massive purge in the military.
