Turkish President Erdogan Strives for One-Man Rule - Gulen
07:38 26.07.2016
US-based dissident Fethullah Gulen, whom the Turkish government has accused of orchestrating the botched coup, said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is becoming increasingly authoritarian.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – On July 15, a coup attempt took place in Turkey and was suppressed the following day. The government has blamed Gulen and his followers of having played a key role in it. Over 240 people were killed and more than 2,000 injured during the failed coup excluding the victims among the plotters, according to the country's authorities.
"Despite my unequivocal protest, similar to statements issued by all three of the major opposition parties, Turkey's increasingly authoritarian president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, immediately accused me of orchestrating the putsch… Mr. Erdogan's accusation is no surprise… for what it reveals about his systematic and dangerous drive toward one-man rule," he wrote in an opinion piece published in the New York times magazine Monday.
The dissident also said that Turkish president is blackmailing the United States with curbing the support for the anti-terrorist coalition in Iraq and Syria in order to ensure his "extradition, despite a lack of credible evidence and virtually no prospect for a fair trial."
The Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETO)/Parallel State Structure (PDY), made up of Gulen's supporters, is designated as a terrorist organization by Ankara. In 2014, Turkey opened an investigation into the organization's alleged efforts to overthrow the government.
Gulen is wanted on charges including treason, although he denies any wrongdoing.
© Sputnik
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