Does Erdogan really want Gulen in Turkey?
Turkish Prime Minster Recep Tayyip Erdogan is calling for Fethullah Gulen's extradition from the United States to Turkey, but he should be careful what he wishes for.
Turbulence in ties between Ankara and Washington is increasing because of developments in Turkey. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants the United States to extradite or, failing that, to at least deport Fethullah Gulen, the Pennsylvania-based Turkish imam who was once one of his closest allies against Turkey’s secularist establishment, but has become his archenemy.
Erdogan accuses the ailing Gulen, 73, who has been living in the United States since 1997, of being behind the corruption investigation opened by prosecutors on Dec. 17 that examined the actions not only of government ministers, who have since been forced to resign, but also of Erdogan's son Bilal.
Erdogan alleges this investigation is an attempted coup against his government by supporters of Gulen lodged within the judiciary and the police. He also blames Gulen supporters for a series of voice recordings leaked to the media over the Internet, which incriminate members of his Justice and Development Party (AKP) government.
These leaks resulted in the government’s banning of Twitter and YouTube, another issue that has caused tensions between Ankara and Washington. Twitter has since been reopened after a ruling by the Constitutional Court, but YouTube remains shut down.
