Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared his government firmly in control, however, demanded the United States arrest or extradite an exiled Islamic cleric he blames for a coup attempt that ended with nearly 200 people dead.
The cleric, Fethullah Gulen, who's living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, suggested that overthrow and assassination attempts have been stages in the past though he did not directly accuse Erdogan of deliberately plunging Turkey into chaos.
The uprising exposes the deep discontent among the military ranks. But after the night of violence, questions still remained about who was behind it and why they decided to act now.
Erdogan's call for U.S. involvement in punishing his rival comes after Turkish authorities closed the airspace around Turkey's Incirlik Air Base, where the government allows American military to launch operations in the air campaign against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
"I call on the United States and President Barack Obama to either arrest Fethullah Gulen or return him to Turkey," said Erdogan.
Gulen, a reclusive figure who leads a popular movement called Hizmet, said anyone could have masterminded the coup attempt: nationalist, the oppositions. However, he denied any involvement.
Whoever was responsible, the uprising is the latest worrying example of deteriorating stability in a country once promoted to the wider Muslim world as a model of democratic governance and economic prosperity.
Source: CNN
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