Turkey has reignited its war of words with the US after a senior Turkish minister accused Washington of being behind the country’s failed 2016 coup.
Suleyman Soylu, Turkey’s interior minister, blamed the US for orchestrating the failed overthrow attempt and for hosting preacher Fethullah Gulen, who has been accused of controlling the uprising through a deep cover network hidden within the Turkish state.
Washington further fanned the flames in statements claiming that Turkey initiated a “disproportionate crackdown” on domestic student protests.
The accusations come as Turkey looks to repair strained ties with the US following last year’s sanctions over the sale of Russia’s S-400 air defense system.
Ankara has opened several diplomatic channels with regional rivals, including Greece, France and Israel, and has halted aggressive moves in the Mediterranean as a goodwill gesture to the Biden administration.
Max Hoffman, a Turkey analyst from the Washington-based Center for American Progress, said that Soylu’s accusation could be connected to an ongoing domestic power struggle within Turkey.
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