Turkish PM says Ankara sees no compromise with the US over Gülen extradition

Turkey's prime minister said on Aug. 13 that Ankara could not compromise with the United States over its request for the extradition of Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen which it accuses of orchestrating the July 15 failed coup attempt. 

“The U.S. stance is getting better,” Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım told a group of Turkish journalists after announcing that U.S. Vice President Joe Biden would visit Turkey on Aug. 24.

“The U.S. cannot ignore our demand, it is crystal clear that FETÖ [Fethullahist Terrorist Organization] is behind the failed coup,” said Yıldırım, adding that he and PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdoğan decided to “fight till death” on the night of the coup attempt.

Yıldırım also announced the latest numbers in the operations against Gülen-linked public employees and soldiers. 

According to the prime minister, 76,597 civil servants have been suspended over links to the coup attempt, and 4,897, including more than 3,000 soldiers, have been dismissed from their posts, bringing the total number to 81,974.

“There are difficulties in determining those who are not directly involved with the organization, but we are doing our best to make no mistakes,” he said. 

“They have their own communication network of 50,000 people. We still have limited information, and our efforts are for normalization with minimum mistakes.”

Yıldırım said individuals, not the institutions, will be targeted in the probes into the Gülen-linked businesses.

The Syria crisis was also on Yıldırım’s agenda.

“Do not be surprised if very important developments regarding Syria occur in the next six months,” the prime minister said.

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