President Erdogan: U.S. must choose: FETO or Turkey

By Azernews

By Gunay Hasanova

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on the United State to extradite U.S.-based opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen blamed by Ankara for the failed military coup in the country last month.

Erdogan gave the U.S. an ultimatum following Ankara's repeated requests for the extradition of Pennsylvania-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, accused of orchestrating the July 15 defeated coup, Anadolu reported on Wednesday.

Addressing a mass crowd in front of the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Erdogan said: "Sooner or later the U.S will make a choice: either Turkey or FETO.

"Either coup-plotting terrorist FETO or democratic country Turkey. It has to make this choice," the president said, referring to the Gulen-led Fethullah Terrorist Organization that Ankara says mounted the bloody coup attempt through rogue elements within the military.

In addition, he said that Turkey has sent “eighty five boxes of files” to Washington to prove Gulen’s alleged role in the failed coup.

In turn, Washington, so far has refused to return Gulen to Turkey, saying that it needs evidence of his involvement in the military revolt.

Gulen is accused of leading a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as the “parallel state”

Turkey's government said the foiled putsch, which left 240 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured, was organized by followers of Gulen, who has lived in a self-imposed exile Pennsylvania since 1999.

Erdogan also announced the end to weeks of "democracy watch" rallies across Turkey. The daily gatherings, which have attracted hundreds of thousands wishing to show their opposition to the foiled July 15 coup, culminated Sunday in an Istanbul rally that 5 million people are thought have attended, according to local officials.

The Turkish president warned citizens however to stay vigilant constantly as "betrayal can come from anywhere and anyone".

"Democracy watch cannot be only kept in certain hours, in certain places," he added.

Previously, Erdogan said that organization led by Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen has made efforts to undermine Turkey-Russia relations.

Before Erdogan's speech, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim took the stage and told the crowd: "You are the hero of democracy,” adding that coup plotters believed that they would defeat the nation, but they were mistaken.

The Fethullah Terrorist Organization will be held accountable before the public, he said.

On July 15 evening, Turkish authorities said a military coup attempt took place in the country. Meanwhile, a group of servicemen announced about transition of power to them.

However, the rebelling servicemen started to surrender July 16 and Turkish authorities said the coup attempt failed. Erdogan said that the death toll as a result of the military coup attempt stood at 246 people excluding the coup plotters and over 2,000 people were wounded.

On the night of attempt, Erdogan called on Turkish citizens to hit the streets in opposition to the coup, a call that has met an overwhelming response from thousands who poured out to defy tanks and bullets in major cities and millions who took part in anti-coup demonstrations across the country.

Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency in Turkey on July 20.