Obama denies any U.S. involvement in attempted Turkey coup

[uawchild]

Source: Reuters

President Barack Obama on Friday said the United States strongly supports Turkey's democratically elected government, but that any extradition request for a U.S.-based Muslim cleric accused of being involved in last week's attempted coup will have to go through normal channels.

Obama, speaking at a news conference, said he told Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in a call earlier this week that the United States had no prior knowledge of the failed military coup.

"Any reports that we had any previous knowledge of a coup attempt, that there was any U.S. involvement in it, that we were anything other than entirely supportive of Turkish democracy are completely false, unequivocally false," Obama said, warning that such rumors threatened "a critical alliance and partnership between the United States and Turkey."

He said he also told Erdogan his government must present evidence of cleric Fethullah Gulen's alleged involvement in the abortive coup and that an extradition request targeting him would receive the review required by the Justice Department and other government agencies just like any other petition.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-security-obama-idUSKCN102219

[doc03]

1. It wouldn't be the first time the CIA conducted a failed coup attempt,

would it? I thought we were involved when it started and still do.

[forest444]

2. The whole thing does indeed look like an Erdogan stunt.

And unfortunately, many in the CIA still view him as an "ally."

[Igel]

3. No, but it also wouldn't be the first time there was a failed coup attempt without CIA involvement.

I doubt that Chavez' coup attempt was CIA backed.

Evidence is good.

[Cali_Democrat]

4. Let's see the evidence then. nt

[doc03]

5. If it was the CIA they are pretty good at covering their tracks. That's

why they call it the CIA. We may never know.

[Adrahil]

6. I'm not saying you're definitely wrong....

but that's a really weak position. Lots of bad things happen in the world that isn't a CIA plot.