Turkey President Erdogan accuses United States general of ‘backing putschists’

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper also said on Thursday that the government’s backlash has “affected all segments of the national security apparatus in Turkey.Many of our interlocutors have been purged or arrested”. The dishonourable discharges included around 40 percent of Turkey’s admirals and generals.

A faction within the Turkish military launched an attempted coup against the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the night of July 15.

On Wednesday, Turkey ordered the shutdown of scores of media outlets, including three news agencies, 16 television channels and 45 newspapers, Andalou reported.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim also said Turkey would shut down an air base in the outskirts of Ankara that the coup plotters used as their headquarters. Meanwhile, a group of servicemen announced about transition of power to them.

An armed man watches over secular supporters of main opposition Republic Public Party (CHP) shouting slogans and holding Turkish flags and pictures of Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, during a demonstration against coup at Taksim Square, in Istanbul, Turkey, July 24, 2016.

On Friday, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook added, “Turkey has been an extraordinary and vital partner”, in the fight against the Islamic State, and “any suggestion anyone in the [defense] department supported the coup in any way would be absurd”.

The president also lashed out at an American military official who expressed concern that the failed coup may have longer-term effects on the US -led fight against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq.

Turkish media identified them as Kamil Basoglu and Ihsan Uya, both high-ranking members of the land forces.

They do not deserve “acquittal and prayers of their fellow believers”, the religious body was quoted as saying by Bianet media outlet.

The state also formally discharged around 1,700 officers from the military and brought the Turkish Coast Guard under the control of the Interior Ministry. The military has ousted four governments in the past 60 years. “The army has to stop being the army of the Fethullah Gulen terrorist organization”, Justice Minister Bozdag said.

Yildirim accompanied senior military officers to pay respects at Ataturk’s mausoleum in Ankara ahead of the meeting.

The claims may seem far fetched – but the USA is said to have had a hand in previous Turkish revolutions. So far, more than 60,000 people in the military, judiciary, civil service and schools have been either detained, removed or suspended over suspected links with Gulen.

Speaking to reporters in Ankara, Cavusoglu said the purge of those suspected of being involved in the coup is rendering the Turkish army more efficient.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warned this week that relations will suffer even more if Gulen’s extradition is denied.

Turkish authorities have issued warrants for the detention of 89 journalists.

This month’s events have exacerbated Turkey’s hard relations with the United States. He has denied any involvement.

President Barack Obama last week denied any U.S. role in the coup, telling reporters that reports to the contrary are “completely false, unequivocally false”, and that the USA and Turkey have a “critical alliance and partnership”.

Gulen built up his reputation as a Sunni Muslim preacher with intense sermons.

“The NTIC schools in Nigeria are Turkish in name, but Nigerian in deeds”. His philosophy stresses the need to embrace scientific progress, shun radicalism and build bridges to the West and other religious faiths.