Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim warned that further “criminal activity will be forcefully dealt with” and announced that the United States has been given evidence of the involvement of exiled opposition leader, Fetullah Gulen, in the failed coup.
In an address on Tuesday before members of his party in parliament, Yildirim denounced the “despicable” and “cowardly” coup plotters, whom he said were being “directed by a cleric” from abroad, referring to Gulen, Al Jazeera reported.
“The power of the tank has not been able to overcome the power of the people,” he said, adding that all those involved in the coup will be “severely punished”.
Yildirim did not say whether the evidence provided by the Turkish government to the US constitutes a formal extradition request.
Ankara had earlier demanded Washington hand Gulen over to Turkish authorities, though US officials said that no official request for extradition had been submitted.
Gulen, who is a resident in the US, has denied any involvement in the military plot to topple the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and hinted that the coup might have been staged to justify his arrest.
