Erdogan Urges U.S. to Hand Over Cleric Blamed for Coup Attempt
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech following the failed coup attempt at his residence at Kisikli Neighborhood in Istanbul, Turkey on July 16, 2016.
Photographer: Elif Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesTurkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday called on the U.S. to extradite an Islamic cleric accused by Turkish authorities of being the ringleader behind an attempted military coup less than 24 hours earlier.
Turkey has long sought action against Fethullah Gulen, who’s been living in the U.S. for more than 15 years, Erdogan told a crowd of supporters in Istanbul. He addressed his American counterpart, Barack Obama, directly: “Dear Mr. President, I told you this before. Either deport Fethullah Gulen or return him to Turkey. You didn’t listen. I call on you again.” He said Turkey has been preparing a formal application with detailed information about Gulen’s illegal activities.