US dismisses Minister Soylu's claim that it backed the 2016 coup attempt

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The US Department of State has dismissed Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu's claim that Washington supported the attempted military coup in July 2016.

"The United States had no involvement in the 2016 attempted coup in Turkey and promptly condemned it," says a written statement released yesterday (February 4) by Ned Price, the department's spokesperson.

"Recent assertions to the contrary made by senior Turkish officials are wholly false.

"These remarks and other unfounded and irresponsible claims of US responsibility for events in Turkey are inconsistent with Turkey's status as a NATO Ally and strategic partner of the United States."

Minister Soylu said on Tuesday (February 2) it was "obvious" that the US was behind the coup attempt.

"FETÖ didn't do this alone, it was the US," he said during a program on Haber Global TV.

"Immediately after July 15, I made a statement to television channels on the phone on July 16 ... I said, 'The US is behind this coup.'

"Had the international system not backed and protected them, would they have survived? Who instigated the murder protects the murderer. Who instigated that is now protecting its man."

Turkey has accused an Islamic group led by Fethullah Gülen, a US-based cleric, of orchestrating the coup attempt. The group is officially dubbed as the "Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ)" and many senior military officials have been convicted of attempted overthrow for taking part in the coup as members of the group.

To be clear: the U.S. had no involvement in the 2016 attempted coup in Turkey and promptly condemned it. Any assertions to the contrary are false and inconsistent with Turkey's status as a NATO Ally and strategic partner of the United States. https://t.co/y7ezqj9ATJ

— Ned Price (@StateDeptSPOX) February 5, 2021

(PT/VK)