Turkish president slams U.S. for lack of support in wake of failed coup attempt

Turkey's president slammed the United States on Friday, claiming it was not standing firmly against a failed military coup and accused it of harbouring the plot's alleged mastermind, as a government crackdown in the coup's aftermath strained Turkey's ties with key allies.

Turkey has demanded that the U.S. extradite Fethullah Gulen, a cleric living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania whom it accuses of being behind the violent July 15 coup attempt that left 290 people dead.

It is accusing Western nations of not extending sufficient support to its efforts to counter further threats from followers of the Gulen movement, which it says have infiltrated the country's state institutions.

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Turkey considers Gulen's movement a terrorist organization. Gulen has denied any prior knowledge of the plot and says his movement espouses interfaith dialogue. The U.S. has asked Turkey for evidence of his involvement, and said the U.S. extradition process must take its course.

"Instead of thanking this nation that quashed the coup in the name of democracy, on the contrary, you are taking sides with the coup plotters," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an angry speech Friday at a police special forces headquarters in Ankara.

The facility was bombed and fired upon during the attempted coup, and 47 police officers were killed.

"The putschist is already in your country," Erdogan said.

'Know your place': Erdogan to U.S. general

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

Gen. Joseph Votel said Thursday the unrest could affect U.S. relations with the Turkish military, noting that some of its leaders have been jailed.

"We've certainly had relationships with a lot of Turkish leaders, military leaders in particular. And so I'm concerned about
what the impact is on those relationships as we continue to move forward," Votel said at the Aspen Security Forum.

Erdogan criticized the comment.

"It's not up to you to make that decision. Who are you? Know your place," he said, and hinted the United States could be behind the failed plot.

"My people know who is behind this scheme ... they know who the superior intelligence behind it is, and with these statements you are revealing yourselves, you are giving yourselves away," he said.

Turkey defends crackdown

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also criticized the comments, saying the jailed officers are "not the only ones with the capacity to fight" ISIS. 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.

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"When we weed out these bad apples ... then our army is more trustworthy, more dynamic, cleaner and more effective," Cavusoglu said.

The foreign minister said Turkey wanted Gulen's extradition process to conclude rapidly and has asked the United States to make sure he does not escape to another country.

He also criticized Turkey's European and Western allies for their stance on the government's broad crackdown, which has included a purge of the civil service, military, judiciary and education sectors, and the closures of hundreds of schools and dozens of media outlets.

"We are disturbed by our European and Western friends' approach," Cavusoglu told reporters. "Very few have given us a clear support against the coup. They started to give us lessons in democracy, to talk down to us, to warn us."

The European Union and other countries, as well as human rights groups, have voiced increasing concern about the crackdown.

According to recent figures from the interior ministry, more than 18,000 people have been detained since the coup attempt. Of those, more than 3,500 have since been released, a senior government official said.

A total of 49,211 people have had their passports revoked, according to the interior minister. The government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with his office's regulations, said the revocations were a precaution against the flight risk of possible terror suspects.

More than 66,000 people in the wider civil service have been suspended from their jobs.

Ankara says the crackdown targets followers of Gulen and is necessary to prevent a new threat. It has also been seeking to extend its crackdown on the network of schools and institutions abroad connected to his movement.

Referendum on capital punishment

Cavusoglu, in an interview with Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung to be published Saturday, raised the possibility of a referendum on reintroducing capital punishment.

This decision should not be taken "in the heat of the moment," he was quoted as saying. "Perhaps the decision on this will be taken in a referendum. These are very serious questions."

He argued that officials are getting thousands of tweets and texts saying "'If you don't reintroduce the death penalty, we won't vote for your party anymore."'

"The EU doesn't have the right to give us lessons on this matter," Cavusoglu was quoted as saying.

Journalists engaged in 'fabrication of evidence'

Also Friday, 21 journalists appeared in court In Istanbul, after being detained as part of the sweeping crackdown.

Authorities have issued warrants for the detention of 89 journalists in total. Dozens of media organizations, mostly linked to Gulen, were ordered to close Wednesday night.

"These journalists worked in media organizations that belonged to this terror organization," Cavusoglu said.

"They were not only engaged in journalistic activity, they were engaged in activities that included the fabrication of evidence that served [the Gulen movement]," he said. "We need to make a distinction between those who co-operate with those who carried out the coup, those who supported it and the real journalists."