ERBIL, Kurdistan Region--Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned US General Joseph Votel on Friday for voicing his concern about the ongoing purge of military officers following the failed July 15 coup attempt.
“We’ve certainly had relationships with a lot of Turkish leaders, military leaders in particular,” Votel, Commander of US Central Command, said at a meeting in Colorado on Thursday.
Noting that several American allies within the Turkish military have been arrested, Votel said, “I’m concerned about what the impact is on those relationships as we continue.”
“They have been integrated into many things that we are doing,” he pointed out, underscoring Turkey’s strategic importance to the US. “I am concerned that it [the purge] will impact the level of cooperation and collaboration that we have with Turkey which has been excellent, frankly,” he said.
The US-led coalition is using Turkey’s Incirlik airbase as a launch pad for airstrikes against ISIS militants in Iraq and Syria and considers Turkey a key NATO ally in the war against the terrorist group.
On Friday, Erdogan responded to Votel’s concerns, saying, “Who are you?”
He then proceeded to allege that the US supported the attempted coup.
“You are already keeping the coup leader in your country,” Erdogan declared, referring to the fact that the man Ankara charges with orchestrating the coup, Fethullah Gulen, has been living in the US since 1999.
The US will not extradite Gulen until the Turkish government provides clear evidence that Gulen orchestrated the coup attempt.
On Wednesday, the Turkish military dishonourably discharged 1,684 personnel, according a government official who spoke with Reuters anonymously, including 149 generals and admirals, nearly half of the military’s top leadership.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim met with the Supreme Military Council to reshuffle the top level of the military. Two of Turkey’s top generals, Land Forces Chief of Staff General Ihsan Uyar and Training and Doctrine Command head General Kamil Basoglu, resigned just before the meeting, Turkey’s Dogan news reported.
It is expected that lower-ranking officers will be fast-tracked through promotions in order to fill in now-open positions at the top.
More than 10,000 soldiers have so far been detained over the failed coup.
“We’ve certainly had relationships with a lot of Turkish leaders, military leaders in particular,” Votel, Commander of US Central Command, said at a meeting in Colorado on Thursday.
Noting that several American allies within the Turkish military have been arrested, Votel said, “I’m concerned about what the impact is on those relationships as we continue.”
“They have been integrated into many things that we are doing,” he pointed out, underscoring Turkey’s strategic importance to the US. “I am concerned that it [the purge] will impact the level of cooperation and collaboration that we have with Turkey which has been excellent, frankly,” he said.
The US-led coalition is using Turkey’s Incirlik airbase as a launch pad for airstrikes against ISIS militants in Iraq and Syria and considers Turkey a key NATO ally in the war against the terrorist group.
On Friday, Erdogan responded to Votel’s concerns, saying, “Who are you?”
He then proceeded to allege that the US supported the attempted coup.
“You are already keeping the coup leader in your country,” Erdogan declared, referring to the fact that the man Ankara charges with orchestrating the coup, Fethullah Gulen, has been living in the US since 1999.
The US will not extradite Gulen until the Turkish government provides clear evidence that Gulen orchestrated the coup attempt.
On Wednesday, the Turkish military dishonourably discharged 1,684 personnel, according a government official who spoke with Reuters anonymously, including 149 generals and admirals, nearly half of the military’s top leadership.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim met with the Supreme Military Council to reshuffle the top level of the military. Two of Turkey’s top generals, Land Forces Chief of Staff General Ihsan Uyar and Training and Doctrine Command head General Kamil Basoglu, resigned just before the meeting, Turkey’s Dogan news reported.
It is expected that lower-ranking officers will be fast-tracked through promotions in order to fill in now-open positions at the top.
More than 10,000 soldiers have so far been detained over the failed coup.
