Turkish ruling party purges US-based cleric’s followers

Before former allies Gulen and Erdogan publicly fell out in 2010, the schools were considered a key instrument in expanding Turkey’s clout overseas.

Speaking to leaders of chambers of commerce in Ankara earlier Thursday, Erdogan had said his government was “determined to totally cut off all business links of this organization, which has blood on its hands”.

The cleric denied involvement in the failed coup when he met with reporters on July 18 at his compound in the Pocono Mountains of eastern Pennsylvania. But Washington has said Ankara must provide clear evidence of Gulen’s involvement in the failed military coup before any extradition process can move forward. It was also unclear why she was in Turkey, whether she lives there permanently, or whether she has Turkish as well as German citizenship. Cavusoglu also alluded to a possible visit from Vice President Joe Biden.

The warrant for Gulen’s arrest is seen as a preliminary step by Turkey before it officially requests his extradition.

The official announcement did not provide any details about the visit, but Nazarbayev is expected to smooth over any disagreements between the two Turkic countries following the failed coup, which has been blamed on exiled US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen and his sympathisers in Turkey.

Ozhan said “many documents have been sent” and “we are doing our homework in Turkey” where “prosecutors are forming a case”.

He added that “every cent” that goes to the Gulen movement “is a bullet placed in a barrel to be fired against this nation”.

He said: “I don’t want to believe that the U.S. is complicit but the true test will be if they extradite Gulen”.

This week, three Turkish ministers visited the U.S.to put pressure on the government to extradite Gulen.

“We haven t seen any evidence, direct or indirect… a scintilla of evidence, electronic or otherwise, implicating Mr Gulen”, said attorney Reid Weingarten.

He said the first batch did not appear to be “a formal extradition request” for Gulen. “And these tortured confessions that they are expecting, that wouldn’t work in a US court either”, Weingarten said.

Some 60,000 teachers, judges, civil servants and member of the military have been detained in a purge by President Erdogan’s government.

Images of detained soldiers with facial bruises after the coup attempt, as well as an Amnesty International report alleging abuse of suspected coup plotters, raised questions about evidence-gathering ahead of mass trials. “We also have rejected and continue to reject any attempt to overthrow the democratically elected government in Turkey”.

“Kazakhstan is a strategic partner of Turkey, and Ankara cherishes relations with Kazakhstan”, said Erdogan.

A spokesman declined to give a reason but said the company, while not questioning its engagement with Turkey, was monitoring the political and economic situation very carefully.

U.S. fighter jets have been using Turkey’s southern base of Incirlik as a crucial launch point for lethal raids against IS targets in neighboring Syria. “This would not be in our interest”.

Now local branches of the AK Party have been told to begin a purge of suspected Gulenists in their ranks.