OPINION:
This week marks the second anniversary of the failed coup attempt against a democratically elected government of a NATO country. The coup attempt included an F16 firing on Parliament and helicopter gunships shooting at police headquarters and ordinary civilians. Sadly, 241 people were killed, and 2,194 others were injured defending their country.
Surviving the coup, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took control of a very difficult situation and initiated an effort to bring those responsible for the coup to justice. Understandably, he chose to err on the side of caution, and in the immediate aftermath many innocent people were also affected by the purge.
While some criticism may be warranted, the overall narrative in Western media is flawed. Turkey was subjected to the bloodiest coup attempt in its modern history, while simultaneously dealing with other major challenges such as hosting millions of refugees fleeing war-torn Syria.
Mr. Erdogan demonstrated the will of his government to deal with the Syrian refugee situation with efficacy and surprisingly little international assistance, to the great benefit of NATO, the European Union and other partners. In Syria, Turkey has played a key role over the last seven years in helping to eliminate ISIS and other terrorist elements.
As this conflict winds down, Turkey will continue to play a key role in resolving issues such as refugee resettlement, territorial lines and the future of the Kurds in this region.
A major concern still outstanding for Turkey in the aftermath of the coup is the possible role played by the radical imam Fethullah Gulen and his followers. In self-imposed exile in the U.S., Mr. Gulen remains the leader of numerous dubious foundations, media organizations, associations and questionable charter schools, while he endures as a significant cause of the ongoing U.S.-Turkey rift.
In the two years since the coup, Turkey has sought Mr. Gulen’s extradition to Turkey where he can be tried for any role he had in supporting the coup. Thus far the Department of Justice has failed to honor Turkey’s request for Mr. Gulen’s extradition. According to Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and other Western security services, there is overwhelming evidence of Mr. Gulen’s direct involvement in the coup plot, as well as Mr. Gulen’s establishment of terrorist cells abroad and his armed operations in Turkey.
Since the attempted coup, Turkey has identified Mr. Gulen’s’ infiltration of the armed forces, courts, public service sectors and media, amounting to more than 200,00 active members. These numbers are far from trivial, and there is ample evidence that they are supported by hundreds of millions of dollars from Mr. Gulen’s operations in the United States shipped illegally to Turkey in cash by couriers.
Several former Gulen members in the United States state say they have repeatedly reported illicit visa activities, large-scale skimming of government payments for so-called “charter schools,” and illegal cash transfers to the FBI to no avail.
The U.S.Turkish relationship is a well-cemented alliance that matured during the Korean War and throughout the Cold War, particularly within the framework of NATO, and includes agreements for bilateral trade, defense cooperation and the war against terrorism. It is important that Mr. Gulen be prosecuted for any role that he had in the failed coup against a democratically elected government of a NATO country.
As the U.S. seeks to locate terrorists and potential terrorists within the nation, it is counterintuitive to have a known source of terrorist funding and operations operating on U.S. soil. While U.S. forces continue to fight terrorist groups throughout the Middle East and the world, it makes sense to stop providing a safe haven for Mr. Gulen.
Turkey is a trustworthy partner and becomes the face of Europe when dealing with an immigration crisis, the war against terrorism and sustainable development projects in the Middle East region. To the south, Turkey is the only NATO nation that borders both Syria and Iraq. For years Turkey has dealt with waves of immigrants that the government has carefully handled.
In addition to humanitarian engagement, Turkish police and armed forces are successful in securing national borders, reducing imminent threats from Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and neutralizing attacks from People’s Protection Units (YPG). Recently re-elected president, Mr. Erdogan has proven to be successful in reducing threat levels into Europe while containing a range of threats from neighboring countries in conflict such as Iraq and Syria, thereby helping save American lives.
At a time when the Middle East is in a state of great change with threats to regional security from Iran, terrorists and others, Turkey remains a key NATO ally of Washington. It is hard to overestimate the role Turkey continues to play in the military, diplomatic and humanitarian domains, and it needs to be supported by the U.S. Departments of Justice and State, and the White House.
Mr. Trump understands this. Other elements of the Executive Branch need to get the message. Dealing quickly with the extradition of Mr. Gulen would be a good first step to help this indispensable ally gain closure in the aftermath of the attempted coup.
• Abraham Wagner is a senior fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies on Terrorism.
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