Envoy: US does not want to get involved in family fight

US Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone has said that the US does not want to get involved in Turkey's “family fight” between government officials and what the government calls a “parallel structure” nested within the state.

“It is a family discussion. We are a friend of your family, you are a good family, and we do not want to get involved in your family fight,” Ricciardone told journalists when asked about his thoughts on the “parallel structure” in Turkey. Paying a farewell visit to Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek on Friday before the US ambassador leaves his post this summer, Ricciardone also added, “I hope it will be resolved in a satisfactory manner.”

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had said during an interview with American public television station PBS host Charlie Rose broadcast in the US in early May that the US should extradite Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, who is accused by the government of being in control of a “state within the state” in Turkey. Gülen lives in Pennsylvania.

“Some experts say there is no legal basis for an extradition request because there are no charges or legal cases against Mr. Gülen, who has permanent-resident status and has lived in rural Pennsylvania since 1997,” The New York Times wrote on May 3.

The newspaper also said that for the United States to approve an extradition request, the person must be accused of a crime recognized in both jurisdictions and there must be a reasonable belief that the person committed the crime. “It seems unlikely those conditions exist. Washington has not considered Mr. Gülen a threat, or he would not have been able to remain in the country,” it added.

When Rose asked Erdoğan if he believes the US will comply with Turkey's request for an extradition, Erdoğan said he hopes to see that happen. The prime minister then quickly added that the US should at least deport Gülen.

Ricciardone said he will be paying farewell visits to other Turkish officials, politicians and journalists in the coming days.

The Constitutional Court ruled on Thursday that a block on access to YouTube imposed by the Erdoğan government is a violation of rights, but nearly 24 hours after the ruling was announced, the video-sharing site remained inaccessible to most Turks.

When asked what he thinks about the Constitutional Court's ruling on YouTube, Ricciardone said, “We [the US] support any actions that strengthen the citizens' freedoms, and so we welcome the Constitutional Court's decision on YouTube.” Speaking about the Turkish presidential election in August, Ricciardone said: “We trust the Turkish democracy. No one can predict the election results in a serious democracy. We trust the Turkish democracy, rule of law and election process.”

Ricciardone said that the Turkish people will elect their president and will say “this is my candidate, and my candidate is elected.”

The US ambassador also said that the US is closely cooperating with its allies on Syria, and US President Barack Obama has made it clear that the US will not be on the ground militarily but will support the neighboring countries, including Turkey, which face the burden of hosting the many Syrians who have fled from the civil war and the additional problem of al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorists crossing the border between Syria and Turkey.

Speaking about the Soma mining disaster on May 13 which claimed 301 lives, Ricciardone said that the security and safety of people is a priority in democracies and should be taken seriously. “We can all take lessons out of this tragic disaster,” Ricciardone said.

Published on Today's Zaman, 30 May 2014, Friday