Obama: The Claim that the U.S. Had Prior Knowledge of the Coup in Turkey is Completely Incorrect

Barack Obama, the President of the United States, on Friday rejected claims that the United States had prior knowledge of the coup attempt in Turkey or was involved in the failed coup, emphasizing that such reports are "clearly" incorrect. According to the Associated Press, Mr. Obama stated in a joint press conference with his Mexican counterpart at the White House that he clarified the inaccuracy of such reports during a phone conversation last week with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey. He added that he emphasized to his Turkish counterpart to make this clear to all members of his government, as otherwise, the diplomatic relations between the two countries and the security of American forces in Turkey could be at risk. The U.S. President stated: "Any report that we had prior knowledge of the coup attempt, or that the U.S. was in any way involved, or that we have not fully supported democracy in Turkey, is completely incorrect." Mr. Obama, who had expressed his full support for the elected civilian government of Turkey just hours after the coup announcement last Saturday, also expressed concern on Friday regarding the crackdown that Erdogan has committed to following the failed coup. Following the failed coup last week in Turkey, Erdogan's government accused Fethullah Gülen, a religious leader residing in the U.S., of leading it, and a wide wave of purges against his supporters began. Simultaneously, officials in this country called for the extradition of Mr. Gülen to Turkey. The U.S. has stated that it requires a formal request and sufficient evidence for the extradition of this religious leader opposed to Erdogan, although the Turkish government claims that the evidence for Gülen's extradition has been sent to the U.S. in the form of four files. The White House had previously stated that the decision regarding Gülen's extradition is not up to Barack Obama, but that it must be based on the treaty between the U.S. and Turkey. Barack Obama reiterated this in his press conference on Friday, stating that such a decision is not up to him and requires the relevant legal and judicial processes for extradition. Since the failed coup in Turkey, the government of this country has taken extensive measures to arrest thousands of people and suspend tens of thousands from their jobs. More than 100 Turkish army generals have also been arrested so far. The Turkish government has also taken another action by canceling 10,856 passports belonging to citizens of this country. Turkish officials also reported on Friday the arrest of 283 members of the presidential guard on suspicion of collaborating with the failed coup last week. The arrested individuals are part of a special unit stationed at the Turkish presidential palace in Ankara, which has a total of 2,500 members, and it has been reported that arrest warrants have been issued for 300 members of this unit. In this context, Erdogan declared a state of emergency in Turkey for three months. The phone conversation between Obama and Erdogan regarding Gülen's extradition has drawn criticism from the UN Human Rights Commissioner regarding the crackdown in Turkey. The U.S. Secretary of State has called for respect for democracy and law in Turkey. France has warned Erdogan about the cleansing process following the coup. The U.S. has also warned about "public insinuations" regarding its role in the Turkish coup.