Turkish media close to Islamist president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the CIA an a retired U.S. military general as masterminds of the July 15 failed coup against the government in power, Daily Star reports.
Image: General John F Campbell
Apart from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and four-star General John F Campbell, there’s also a claim that the accused, financed Turkey’s failed coup through a Nigerian bank–the United Bank Africa (UBA).
According to the report, a total of £1billion passed through UBA, Nigeria in the build-up of Turkey’s attempted military take over.
A key Turkish government minister and Erdogan ally is said to have thrown caution to the winds by daring to expose those believed to be the architects of July 15’s terror attack unleashed on his country’s government, confidently pointing finger at America.
The US has been widely accused of being behind Turkey’s previous coups. History has it that the CIA station chief in Turkey reportedly cabled bosses in Washington to say “our boys did it” after the 1980 revolution.
Yeni Safak [a Turkish newspaper] displayed General Campbell’s picture across its front page with the headline “The coup was directed by this man”.
Yeni Safak reportedly has a circulation similar to the Guardian. In the article published, Campbell was accused of holding meetings with Turkey’s coup plotters at NATO’s Incirlik Air Base in the country.
The military base which served as a meeting point for the alleged coup plotters, accommodates 3,000 US troops, hundreds of RAF airmen – and tactical nuclear warheads, reports say.
Image: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Following the attack on Turkey’s government, subsequent arrest and detention of alleged coup plotters, and an imposition of a 30-day state of emergency, electrical power supply to the US military base was cut off though reports confirm it’s been restored this week.
[Regarding air strikes on Islamic State which was previously launched from the base] James Clapper [the US Director of National Intelligence] admitted that halting operations against ISIS due to the political situation in Turkey, is damaging the fight against ISIS.
Speaking on Thursday, he said: “Many of our interlocutors have been purged or arrested.
“There’s no question this is going to set back and make more difficult cooperation with the Turks.”
In protest against an alleged US involvement in the failed coup, thousands of Turkish protesters reportedly visited the Incirlik Air Base, chanting “Allahu Akbar” and demanding the US leave the country on Thursday.
Turkey has so far used its newly declared state of emergency to force the closure of 2,341 institutions, including universities, charities, hospitals, and labor unions.
What does this have to do with the coup attempt?
The fact that 1,043 private schools; 109 student dormitories; 1,229 foundations and associations; 15 universities; 35 medical institutions; and 19 labor unions have been closed down suggests the Erdogan government is aiming for a complete extermination of Gulen movement, along with any other voices of dissent.
This “staged coup”, followed by a quick and reckless action by the government against institutions and personnel, is believed by many conspiracy theorists to be Erdogan’s planned strategy aimed at annihilating his rivals.
Image: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
The day after the coup, Suleyman Soylu [Turkey’s Labour Minister and Deputy Chairman of Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party] said: “America is behind it”.
Campbell – the last commander of NATO-led forces in Afghanistan – has denied the claims, branding them “absolutely ridiculous”.
The CIA always to blame on international crimes.
No one will believe whatever a dictatorship says, especially when its against world powers. The president knows what he’s doing to ward of stronger powers in order to hold on tight to his greed. Calling names won’t save him from the hot seat.