Pentagon denies supporting coup plot in Turkey
Erdogan hurled accusation at U.S.
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon on Friday flatly rejected allegations by Turkey’s president that the U.S. military was somehow involved in or in any way supported the recent failed coup in that country.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at the U.S. Friday and criticized a senior military commander who had expressed concerns that the violent July 15 coup could have longer-term impact on U.S. relations with the Turkish military. Mr. Erdogan said the U.S. was taking sides with coup plotters.
“One should be ashamed,” Mr. Erdogan said in a televised speech outside the headquarters of police special forces in the capital Ankara, where 50 personnel were killed when a rogue group of officers carried out the revolt.
Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said any suggestion that the U.S. supported the coup was absurd and wrong.
He said Defense Secretary Ash Carter received assurances from his Turkish counterpart that the fight against Islamic State militants won’t be affected. The U.S. launches airstrikes, surveillance aircraft and other missions out of Turkey’s Incirlik air base.
Mr. Cook said that while U.S. and Turkish officials “talk every day,” he could not say whether or not any senior U.S. defense or military officials had reached out to Mr. Erdogan Friday to specifically discuss or refute the latest accusations.
Mr. Erdogan criticized Gen. Joseph Votel, the top U.S. commander for the Middle East, who noted that some Turkish military leaders the U.S. had relationships with have been jailed in the wake of the attempted coup.
“So I’m concerned about what the impact is on those relationships as we continue to move forward,” Gen. Votel said during the Aspen Security Forum on Thursday.
He was speaking alongside Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who said “many of our interlocutors have been purged or arrested.”
Mr. Cook echoed Gen. Votel’s comments, saying the key point is that “we have excellent military-to-military cooperation, have had for some time with the Turkish military. If you are no longer able to talk to a counterpart that you’ve dealt with for some time, there’s a concern that there might be some breakdown in communication. We are trying to work through that with the Turks and have every confidence we’ll be able to do that.”
Turkey has suspended or removed more than 60,000 people from jobs in the military, security services, judiciary, Finance Ministry, academia and media since the failed coup left more than 250 dead. Another 1,600 soldiers, including 149 generals and admirals, were dismissed Thursday, just hours after Mr. Erdogan huddled with the chief of the armed forces.
Senior U.S. leaders, including President Barack Obama, have spoken with their Turkish counterparts in the last two weeks since the coup attempt.
Mr. Erdogan has accused the U.S. of harboring the coup’s alleged mastermind, Fethullah Gulen, a cleric living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania. Turkey has demanded the U.S. extradite Mr. Gulen.