U.S. eyes ways to remove Erdogan foe to appease Turkey: NBC

 

FILE PHOTO: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey, October 23, 2018. REUTERS/Tumay Berkin/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration is exploring possible ways to remove U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, a foe of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, to convince Turkey to ease pressure on Saudi Arabia over the killing of a Saudi journalist, NBC News reported on Thursday.

 

A White House official told Reuters the NBC story was "not accurate," but did not elaborate.

 

NBC, citing four sources, said Trump administration officials asked federal law enforcement agencies to look into whether Gulen, accused by Erdogan of instigating a failed 2016 coup, could legally be forced out of the United States.

 

Gulen's media adviser, Alp Aslandogan, said he had not been informed of any new U.S. inquiry.

 

Erdogan has long demanded that Washington extradite Gulen, who denies any involvement in the attempted coup and has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999. U.S. officials have said the courts need sufficient evidence to extradite the elderly cleric.

 

Erdogan ramped up pressure on Saudi Arabia after U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi rulers, was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, where he had gone to pick up documents related to his upcoming marriage.

 

Saudi Arabia is considered critical to President Donald Trump's effort to curb Iran's growing influence in the region.

 

Erdogan has insisted Khashoggi's killing was ordered at the "highest levels" of the Saudi government and has kept pressure on de facto Saudi ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

 

"The White House has not been involved in any discussions relating the extradition of Fethullah Gulen to the death of Jamal Khashoggi," the White House official said.

 

A senior Turkish official told Reuters that Turkey's extradition request and its Khashoggi investigation were separate issues "not connected in any way, shape or form."

 

NBC News cited sources as saying the Trump administration had directed the Justice Department and FBI to reopen Turkey's case for Gulen's extradition and also asked the Department of Homeland Security for information about his legal status.

 

NBC News said one option the administration was considering was trying to force Gulen to relocate to South Africa.

 

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said U.S. authorities continued to evaluate material Turkey has provided on Gulen but that it remained a Justice Department matter and the White House had not been involved in any extradition discussions.

 

The Justice Department and the FBI declined comment. A source familiar with Justice Department operations was unaware of any kind of significant investigation related to Gulen.

 

NBC said career officials at the agencies had pushed back at the White House requests.

 

(Reporting by David Alexander, Matt Spetalnick, Humeyra Pamuk and Sarah Lynch in Washington and Daren Butler in Ankara; Editing by Susan Thomas and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-11-16

Utterly disgusting.

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Utterly disgusting.

and expected

Saudia arabia will offer him a home i guess, "the enmy of my enemy is my friend" the saying goes....

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

Saudia arabia will offer him a home i guess, "the enmy of my enemy is my friend" the saying goes....

Because he would be of no value in a tit for tat trade? Really?

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The Trump administration is exploring possible ways to remove U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, a foe of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, to convince Turkey to ease pressure on Saudi Arabia over the killing of a Saudi journalist

Depravity of the highest degree.

28 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Because he would be of no value in a tit for tat trade? Really?

Good point, the Saudis would trade him bits by bits, slice by slice, finger by finger......well, you get the picture.

Donald and his minions have had this guy on their list since day one wasn’t general Flinn trying to ransome him off back in the start of the trump era 

It must be wearing to continue to stoop so low.

And the Saudis are going to kill off a couple of fall guys as the prince was not implicated in any way in the Khasshoggi "accident". ????

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Erdogan has insisted Khashoggi's killing was ordered at the "highest levels" of the Saudi government and has kept pressure on de facto Saudi ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Which is more than trump has. 

Flynn and Giuliani had tried to kidnap Gulen and drag him off to Turkey.  Just like a crime family, Trump, the head of the family, has to mop up for his incompetent lackeys.  I wonder if Trump will have Flynn and Giuliani erased?

21 minutes ago, zaphod reborn said:

Flynn and Giuliani had tried to kidnap Gulen and drag him off to Turkey.  Just like a crime family, Trump, the head of the family, has to mop up for his incompetent lackeys.  I wonder if Trump will have Flynn and Giuliani erased?

As much as I loathe Giuliani, he wasn't part of this. Flynn, on the other hand, is definitely unhinged enough to plan something like this.

It was obvious from the start that Erdogan intended to negotiate something. If he is still able to "ease the pressure" after several revelations, it suggests he has not played all his cards yet. Quite interesting.

This Khashoggi affair has become a can of worms of historical proportions.

 

Erdogan is proving to be a master poker player, increasing his bets quietly but relentlessly, knowing that he holds almost all the aces.

 

The US is forced to show its true ugly face for all to see, ready to throw under the bus anyone, guilty or innocent, as long as it can spare its psychopath Saudi protege from sanctions.

 

Even more mindboggling is that, while the US is trying to please Erdogan, it is also preparing sanctions against...Turkey because the latter just bought S 400 defense missiles from Russia!

 

A mad country led by mad men...

46 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

...

 

A mad country led by mad men...

which one? US or Turkey?