Turkish president distancing himself from US: Commentator

Press TV has conducted an interview with James Jatras, a former US Senate foreign policy analyst from Washington, to discuss the response of General Joseph Votel, Commander of US Forces in Mideast, to Ankara’s criticism over Turkey's failed coup plot on July 15.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: Ankara has been leaking out these random accusations against the US since the very beginning of this failed coup attempt, how can this affect relations between the two countries?

Jatras: Certainly, it won't do anything positive to those relations. I must say I find it a little bit ironic that Mr. Erdogan is saying to the Americans who do you think you are trying to overthrow our government here. He's been trying to overthrow the Assad government of Syria for the last five years who does he think he is? I guess he doesn't like it when the shoe is on the other foot. As far as any involvement the US military or the CIA and other agencies I think this has to be tied to his accusation that Fethullah Gülen was involved in this coup. If he was, then yes that definitely would point to a US connection. However, as far as I know Mr. Erdogan has made these accusations and has not brought forth any evidence to show that either the United States or Gülen was really involved in this. I'm not saying they weren't, but I'm just saying we haven't seen the evidence there. And maybe if they weren't involved, he’s making this accusation for political reasons that for some reason of his own agenda he wants to distance himself from Washington. So, there's still a lot that hasn’t come into daylight yet about what's really going on here.

Press TV: Well, the US also mentioned that will be willing to extradite him as soon as a file comes through proving he’s, how to use part of that conspiracy, try to be behind that coop. They said as soon as Ankara is able to substantiate this claim they'll extradite Gülen but yet Ankara has yet to afford anything to back up their claim.

Jatras: Exactly and not only would they have to deliver the evidence, it's still something that would take some time. Gülen is not lacking in financial resources he will lawyer up. He will fight this tooth and claw on the American courts and I would not look for him to be extradited to Turkey anytime soon.

Press TV: And this US general in question who also echoed these concerns of Ankara’s allies that also we've heard throughout his allies about Erdogan’s administration taking this post coup purge too far. Do you feel this is a valid concern or do you think Erdogan is justifying and clearing every threat that he feels is on his soil at this time at all costs?

Jatras: I'm not in a position to say what’s justified and not justified in the Turkish internal affair but as an outside observer I think it's quite clear that Erdogan, he is something of a megalomaniac that he has intended to seize total power in Turkey for some time. And whatever was happened with the coup, whoever was behind it. It certainly has worked out well for him as he himself indicated it was a Godsend. The coup was sent from God to allow him to move forward with what he wants to do. He’s purging not only the military but the judiciary, the media, the education system. It really takes credibility that all of these people were really involved in any kind of coup plot.

Press TV: And even if it strengthens him on the domestic forum, don't you think it's going to hurt him on the international arena?

Jatras: Well it's hard to know what exactly hurt him given how many bridges he's burned with various people. Now he is supposed to meet with Vladimir Putin on, I believe, August ninth. I don't know if he can go back in that direction after he so thoroughly poisoned the world with Moscow, but it seems almost as though he’s deliberately trying to ruin his relationship with Washington and with Europe so that he leaves himself only the prospect of getting closer to Russia and perhaps also toward Iran even if those overtures may not be entirely successful. It's hard to know what he thinks he's doing in that regard.

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