Could John Kerry鈥檚 post-coup trip to Turkey soothe ties?
Secretary Kerry's visit scheduled for later this month will be the first US official visit since Turkey's unsuccessful coup in July.
Secretary Kerry's visit scheduled for later this month will be the first US official visit since Turkey's unsuccessful coup in July.
US Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to visit Turkey later this month, Turkey鈥檚 foreign minister announced Friday.聽
Secretary Kerry鈥檚 trip, which is planned for Aug. 24, will be the first visit by a US official since Turkey鈥檚 military coup last month.
On July 15, leaders in the Turkish Armed Forces staged a coup against Turkish president Recept Tayyip Erdo臒an聽through an 鈥渙ld-style effort with tanks and guns,鈥� even successfully seizing Istanbul鈥檚 main airport. But after President Erdo臒an, who was out of the country on vacation at the time of coup, publicized a cellphone video asking the Turkish people to take to the streets to "protect" their democracy,聽the takeover came to a violent end leaving more than 270 people dead and 2,000 injured.
Erdo臒an聽has put numerous military leaders, politicians, and journalists on trial, making it clear that he will not rule out the death penalty. Thus far 70,000 suspects have been questioned and 18,000 have been arrested or detained.聽
But Erdo臒an聽blames Fethullah G眉len, a self-exiled Muslim cleric now living in Pennsylvania, for organizing the coup from another country. Mr. G眉len denies any involvement in the violent coup.聽
As 海角大神鈥檚 Scott Peterson reports from Istanbul:聽
But Erdo臒an聽has become increasingly frustrated with the United States, arguing that the US has the duty as an ally to hand over G眉len. The US has since refused, saying if an extradition were to happen it would need to happen through the legal process.
"Evidence matters and due process matters," says Reid Weingarten, one of G眉len's lawyers.聽"The bluster, the conspiracy theories and the threats of Mr. Erdogan are not strong enough to overwhelm the American legal system."
And the US is not the only country with a strained relationship with Turkey.聽
Erdo臒an聽declared a state of emergency late last month, giving the government the power to sensor media, search citizens with more freedom, restrict gatherings, and suspend obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.聽
High representatives with the European Union, Federica Mogherini and commissioner Johannes Hahn, have spoken out against Erdo臒an's state of emergency.
Such a state allows Turkish authorities to disregard "the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right of all individuals concerned to a fair trail," the representatives said in a statement.聽