US-Turkey Tensions Up over Coup Attempt

People shout slogans and hold Turkish national flags during a demonstration, against the failed coup attempt, at Taksim Sqaure, in Istanbul, Turkey, July 17, 2016. EPA/BGNES

US Secretary of State John Kerry has said Turkey should avoid "public insinuations" about his country's involvement in the military coup attempt that rocked the nation late on Friday.

Kerry's remarks have followed allegations from Turkish Labor Minister Faruk ?elik that the US government had been behind the coup.

Additionally, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday urged the States to grant a request for the extradition of Fethullah G?len, the US-based Muslim cleric whom he indirectly accuses of being behind the coup attempt.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim warned that whoever supports G?len cannot be a friend to the US.

The Turkish cleric, for his part, denies involvement, arguing the coup could actually have been staged by Ankara.

In Kerry's words, quoted by CNN, Turkey has to present "any legitimate evidence" that the US could look at to make appropriate judgments on the extradition request.

Fox News quotes a Turkish official source as saying the government is currently preparing a formal extradition request with detailed information about G?len's alleged involvement in illegal activities, of which, eh said, the coup is only "one more thing to add".

Separately, Turkey's government barred access to the Incirlik Air Base, which the US and other NATO countries use for strikes against the Islamic State (IS) group.

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