Choose Gulen ‘terror group’ or Turkey, Erdogan tells the US

 

 

ISTANBUL: -- The Turkish president is calling on the United States to choose between Turkey or FETO, an acronym for the “Gulen Terror Group.”

 

Recep Tayyip Erdogan was addressing a crowd of thousands gathered for a so-called democracy vigil in Istanbul’s Taksim Square.

 

“They will either choose the coup-plotter terrorist FETO or Turkey, the democratic country,” Erdogan added.

 

Erdogan was talking about US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen who Ankara believes organised last month’s attempted coup.

 

Responding to calls from the crowd demanding the death penalty for the coup-plotters, Erdogan again said he would approve any parliamentary decision to reinstate capital punishment.

 

Turkey has designated Gulen’s religious movement a terrorist group and wants Gulen extradited from the United States to face trial.

 

Washington has refused to hand him over because it says Ankara has not presented clear evidence of his involvement.

 

Gulen, who runs a network of charities and schools, has repeatedly denied any connection to the coup.

 

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-- © Copyright Euronews 2016-08-11

"The US knows that Fethullah Gülen (the cleric who lives in Pennsylvania) carried out this coup. Mr. Obama knows this just as well as he knows his own name. I am convinced that American intelligence knows it too"
Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag

59 minutes ago, Class C said:

"The US knows that Fethullah Gülen (the cleric who lives in Pennsylvania) carried out this coup. Mr. Obama knows this just as well as he knows his own name. I am convinced that American intelligence knows it too"
Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag

But where's the proof that will stand up in a public court of law?  Communications, written correspondence, taped phone conversations?

A cleric planning a coup from a foreign country?

 

Chomeini comes to mind.

 

Not a good idea

I thought FETO was a cheese made with goats milk, in which case I'd choose it any day over Erdogan. Erdogan on the other hand would choose the goats, or so I have heard.

Even if the U.S. agrees there is enough evidence to extradite Gulen, the extradition process could take months, if not years because of appeals. The US-Turkey extradition treaty also  allows for a "political offense exception," wherein extradition would not be granted if the alleged crime is "political in nature."                                                                       http://www.voanews.com/a/united-states-extradition-muslim-cleric-gulen-turkey/3430014.html

Reading how Gulen came to be in the US, who sponsored him, how big his network is and what it does can be illuminating. The timing of the coup was also interesting, just after Erdogan made an apology to Russia over the downed jet. Problem is in this den of vipers, with disinformation flowing freely, its difficult to know what is really going on. Best Erdie not hold his breath waiting for that extradition.

6 hours ago, Rancid said:

Reading how Gulen came to be in the US, who sponsored him, how big his network is and what it does can be illuminating. The timing of the coup was also interesting, just after Erdogan made an apology to Russia over the downed jet. Problem is in this den of vipers, with disinformation flowing freely, its difficult to know what is really going on. Best Erdie not hold his breath waiting for that extradition.

 

"Best Erdie not hold his breath waiting for that extradition."

 

Maybe, but then perhaps best Barry not count too heavily on keeping the planes flying at Incirlik...  Erdogan may not have a very solid case, but he does have cards to play.  And Vlad's sitting by like a hungry vulture.

 

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