Critics warned that President Barack Obama’s revealed $400 million “ransom” payment to Iran would embolden America’s enemies to demand more. Some policy makers warned that our country’s weakness would be tested internationally in response.
Now, it’s happening — and it’s from one of our so-called NATO allies!
Turkey’s justice minister warned Tuesday that his country would tear up their alliance with the United States if Obama refused to comply with their demands to extradite a suspicious U.S.-based Muslim cleric who the government says is behind the July 15 failed coup.
Bekir Bozdag also told the state-run Anadolu Agency that anti-American sentiment in Turkey is reaching “its peak” over the issue of cleric Fethullah Gulen’s return, and risks turning into hatred.
Turkey has branded Gulen’s movement a terror organization and wants him returned to Turkey to face trial. Washington has said it would need more evidence of the cleric’s involvement before they complied, and says the regular extradition process must be allowed to take its course.
Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, has denied involvement in the violent coup attempt that left more than 270 people dead.
“If (the United States) does not return him, it will have sacrificed Turkey to a terrorist,” Bozdag’s warning stated.
In his weekly address to legislators of his ruling party, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on Tuesday vowed to bring Gulen to justice.
“That terrorist head will come to Turkey and be brought to account. That man who ordered the bombing of Turkey and the parliament, who pointed Turkey’s armaments toward the Turkish people will get the punishment he deserves,” Yildirim said.
The government has launched a sweeping crackdown targeting Gulen’s followers in the aftermath of the coup.
Bozdag said Turkey has formally arrested 16,000 suspects pending trial, with 6,000 others still being questioned. At least 7,668 other people are under investigation but not detained, he said.
In addition, tens of thousands of people with suspected links to Gulen have been suspended or dismissed from their jobs in the judiciary, media, education, health care, military and local government.
The purges continued on Tuesday, with Turkey’s government-run Directorate of Religious Affairs announcing it had dismissed some 2,560 more employees suspected of ties to the Gulen movement, raising the number of people ousted from the agency since the failed coup to 3,672. The Directorate said some of them were employed abroad. It was not immediately clear how many of those removed from posts were preachers or teachers of the Quran.
European nations and human rights groups have expressed alarm over the scope of Turkey’s crackdown, triggering anger from Turkish officials who have complained of a lack of support for Turkey over the failed coup.
Obama has remained largely silent on the issue.
Yildirim said Turkey will employ 15,000 new teachers and recruit 10,000 new police officers to replace teachers and police who have been purged over their suspected ties to the movement.
The Associated Press contributed to this article
Hillary and her Clinton Foundation have received allot of money from this man.
I’ll be so happy when Mr. Trump makes us energy independent and we can get the hell outta there.
We should give him up. What difference does it make, to quote Her Majesty.
Absolutely should be handed over. He is a muslim and obviously the wrong sect in Turkey. They will take good care of him.
Another crooked and payed or bought off democratic son of a bitch when will Americas people have enough of this bullshit lets kick the ass holes out of America and Obama and Clinton with him. The lying crooked thieving democrats no one can trust.
I think you said it all and right! we need to purge some in our government also
Hillary doesn’t care, what difference does it make.
What an embarrassing photo – no wonder the world considers us a joke.
Looks like he dropped one in his drawers!
That is what (diversity) looks like and the voters know what it feels like now that it is too late!!
I think you said it all and right! It’s not too late just keep Killary out of the WH we need to purge some in our government also
Let them go, we don’t need Turkey any more than we need to be “friends” with the Saudis or the Pakistanis. They are NOT our friends or our allies. They seek to do us harm secretly and constantly, while smiling and shaking hands in public. They are scum.
You are talking about the clintons and the obamas aren’t you ?????
They fought with our troops in Korea and were feared
The focus needs to stay on the Clinton foundation that’s where they’ll find the evidence they need to put them both behind bars every politician in our country needs to be purged in order for this country to be great again we were warned by our founders why would happen if we the people didn’t keep a tight leash on them now look where we are our own president and as far as I’m concerned and congress and senate have committed treason against this country and its people when are we gonna wake up people after its all gone to late then we did it once we can do it again let’s take this country back and show them how it’s done semper fi
Yeah that’s right! Exercise your 2nd amendment rights and take back this country just like the founding fathers wanted you to.
Only way to gain control of the government is through the convention of states written into our constitution.
Why don’t we give Turkey the cleric and obozo and they can do whatever they want with both of them.
Barack H. Obama started the destruction of the greatest country in the world; Hillary
R. Clinton will finish the job. They will reap what they sow. They will burn in hell with their infamous leaders; Hitler, Mussolini, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Hirohito, Castro, Ben La din, Saladin, All the Ayatollahs, under the leadership of the biggest loser of all time Lucifer. There is only one God; his name is Jesus.
Wrong, not Jesus, only one God is our Father and His son is Jesus. Get your story right, or better yet study the Bible more.
Well I was thinking of saying that Jesus said he would seit at the right hand of GOD Jesus as all of us our from our only GOD
They fought with our troops in Korea and were feared
Whatever happened to the 1500 NATO personnel incarcerated in the NATO air base in Turkey–along with USA equipment, several nuclear bombs and whatever aircraft were still there after the failed military coup? Did the Turkish authorities ever turn the water back on? Is this not a slightly bigger story?
ron-
i agree with you.
i have also heard reports that the base at Incirlik – which apparently has over 100 nuclear weapons, most of them hydrogen bombs – is surrounded by rioting Turks.
In addition, i have heard that the always-brilliant D’OweBama has only allowed 160 people inside the base to be armed.
So what happens if there’s an Iranian-style attack, with multiple US deaths and hostages?
Well, i suppose that if one nuke happens to go off, that would solve a lot of problems – otherwise, these nukes would fall into the hands of a dangerous Muslim madman, Erdogan, who’s already threatened Russia on several occasions, AND shot down one of their aircraft.
Gee, what could POSSIBLY go wrong in this scenario?
Exactly! I haven’t heard status of this situation either & wondering why?!
Dian-
Pure speculation on my part, but i’d guess that it’s the same reason that you haven’t heard much or ANYthing from CCMSM about Russia threatening to use a “pre-emptive” strike on NATO troops in Poland.
We’re being “insulated” from the NWO/OWG plans for us – and they’re not good for Americans or any other living things.
400 million may be considered chicken feed to this lawless bloated gov. However, too millions of now homeless starving folks living from day to day with no hope it could have been the answer to a prayer.
Jan 20th can not come soon enough to get that Trader “Obimma” out of office and we really don’t want “Hellery Husain Clinton in any place but Jail. 25 to life sounds good to me.
I agree with Nestor Blanco that our God is the only God and His name is Jesus. Ron has a great question too. Turkey is so far mixed up it has to be difficult to get a straight story out of there. While their Justice department and Prime minister are trying to get Gulen from us, their President is trying to establish an Islamic Caliphat for the whole country. Are they not working in opposite directions?
Kind of sounds like the Middle East for the last 50 years.
Ridiculous. You really think that G-d Almighty is a dead jew hanging on a stick?
Turkey was a staged coup to purge and get the cleric credibility. It was an erdogan theater.
Gray-
Since the letter “J” does not now, nor has ever existed in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek or Latin, the chances that His REAL Name is “J”esus are nil. I’ve seen it spelled as either Yeshua or Yashua, but since i don’t know which for certain, i go with Y’shua.
Don’t we still have US military bases in Turkey? If so, then for this reason alone, we still need good relations with Turkey. Our troops will INSTANTLY find themselves in hostile territory if Obumf*** let’s this get out of hand.
Haven’t you been watching the news? Our base in Turkey is surrounded by hostiles & water shut off to them. Haven’t heard updates about the situation, but I saw another post here regarding this matter.
Stupid is what stupid does
And Stupid is what Stupid says.
does anyone not remember the great words of ob when he said :if the winds should change, I will stand by my muslim brothers? I will never forget
only our hevenly father God and his son Jesus Christ Knows the outcome of our Greatest country in the world, the U.S.A. will be
Maybe if we elect Trump to be President, our military men will be released. Remember when Jimmy Carter was President how Iran kept our military as prisoners and the minute Ronald Reagan was sworn in as President our military was released. Reagan wasn’t going to put up with the crap that a foreign country was doing to our people. When will our country stand up to foreign countries that take advantage of America? Oh I forgot, the leaders in our country hate America, they love what other countries are doing to America.
What ever happened to engaging our laws against these people here who hate America, by using the IMMIGRATION LAW 1952?
The Immigration Law Prohibits Islamists, Socialist, Communists, Totalitarians from entering our country from other countries. Why do we have these type of people living here in America and operating within our own government? In 2012 it was reported to have about 80 people that were Communists in the House of Representatives. Where is their convictions and brought to justice, as they were supposed to represent people living in their district? There are also Islamists still in Congress.
Why is Barack Hussein Obama Soebarkah still in the Oval Office with Valerie Jarret by his side?
Also this Act of 1952 (Chapter 2) SECTION 212 prohibits anything pertaining to Islam, because it is all against the U S CONSTITUTION. These people living in America that are having organizations against the U S CONSTITUTION and having to do with Islam in any way, are the enemies of the True American people. You only have two full months to check up on all the laws that are being broken today. Then you can decide which candidate is the best one for our country. Make sure you listen and see for yourself the health issues that are also necessary to make the best President for your country. There is only one candidate that I know of that doesn’t smoke or drink to make his (meaning person) thinking ability untouched.
Mr. Gulen should be handed over to Turkish authorities. We went to war against Afghanistan because they were unwilling to turn Osama bin Laden over to us after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack. We should be willing to do for other countries what we went to war to accomplish ourselves.
The government roundup of suspected conspirators in the coup attempt shows what happens when someone tries to overthrow the government and is unsuccessful. Many of these conspirators are facing lengthy prison sentences. Some will probably be put to death. Welcome to the real world.
You in Gov. —if obama fails to do a damn thing to save our guys and their families and get the nuks out of Turkey, you better be ready to demand something or do something in relieving obama of his position,. Those people over there are worth alot more then obama any day. We need to be ready to pull those nukes and the people out of there in a moment.!!! And I mean fast.!!! I get the feeling that he would save that cleric and get those people andthe nukes wasted . He is that evil in my eyes.!!!!
Barbara-
i tend to agree, but suspect that he’ll go further.
He’ll consider the Americans at Incirlik “acceptable losses,” and he has no other way to have “plausible deniability” in re: getting nukes in insane Erdogan’s hands. It will be another 911, in a sense, but D’OweBama will “side with his islamic brothers,” probably the ONLY political and spiritual truth he’s uttered while being the Illegal Current Occupant.
obama will cave, he is so far out of touch with what the right thing to do would be
The two main elements at the center of Obama’s foreign policy are appeasement and apologies. But this situation presents some difficulty for him. While he would probably very much like to appease Turkey and bow to their demands. He does not want to give up his friend and fellow muslum Fethullah Gulen. What would the United States expect if the shoe were on the other foot and Turkey were protecting a known criminal that extradition papers had been issued for?
The Texan-
Excellent point.
Quite a quandary; which Muslim viewpoint will he support? Muslims have been murdering each other since 700AD or thereabouts, and to send Gulen back is a death sentence. If the US and Turkey have extradition treaties, then he’s bound by those conditions. At least, lawfully, but he’s repeatedly proven he could care less about the Supreme Law of the Land he agreed to defend against all enemies, foreign and domestic, so what he’ll do is anyone’s guess…but i’d say it depends on which version of Islam he adheres to. Sunni? Shi’a? Wahabi? Definitely not Sufi, more’s the pity. If Wahabi, practiced in Saudi Arabia, then due to the massive donations to D’OweBama, he’ll allow him to stay and piss off the Turks…which is seldom a good idea; ask the Armenians, for example – oh, wait, there’s hardly any left.