U.S. Department of State spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Washington had concerns about Turkey’s upcoming snap election slated for June 24.
“During a state of emergency, it would be difficult to hold a completely free, fair and transparent election in a manner that’s consistent with Turkish law and also Turkey’s international obligations. So we are aware of that,” Nauert told a briefing on Thursday, noting Turkey has been under a state of emergency for nearly two years following the July 2016 coup bid.
“We are following this very closely. We have concerns about their ability to hold it during this type of state of emergency. We would certainly like to see free and fair elections, but there’s a concern here,” she added.
The U.S. also expressed “concern” about Turkey’s April 16 2017 constitutional reform referendum in which the majority of voters pronounced themselves in favor of an 18-article bill switching a parliamentary system into a presidential one.
Washington has consistently made its “concern” known on a variety of topics ranging from the July 15 2016 failed coup, S-400 missile defense system purchase, tensions with Greece and Turkey’s fight against terrorism. The U.S. has denoted “concern” regarding every development that strengthens Turkey. Here are some of their “concerns.”
1. Top U.S. and NATO officials defend FETÖ
The U.S.-backed Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) perpetrated the July 15 failed coup attempt which was heroically repelled by the people of Turkey. The U.S. president of the time Barrack Obama waited 21 days to call Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The arrest of putschists and their dismissal from the military. The commander of U.S. Central Command, General Joseph Votel, said that he was worried about “longer-term” impacts from the failed coup on counter-terrorism operations and the United States’ relationship with the Turkish military. These comments came nearly two weeks after the failed putsch.
General Curtis Scaparrotti, NATO’s supreme allied commander in Europe, said Turkey’s dismissal of coup plotters from the military “degraded” NATO’s command operations. “These officers served well here in Nato . . . I had talented, capable people here and I’m taking a degradation on my staff for the skill, the expertise and the work that they produced,” Gen Scaparrotti said on Dec. 7 2015.
2. U.S. pastor with FETÖ links
Brunson, a Christian pastor from North Carolina who has lived in Turkey for more than two decades, was indicted on charges of helping FETÖ. He faces up to 35 years in prison. Brunson has been the pastor of Izmir Resurrection Church, serving a small Protestant congregation in Turkey's third largest city.
U.S. President Donald Trump voiced his support on Tuesday for Pastor Andrew Brunson. "Pastor Andrew Brunson, a fine gentleman and Christian leader in the United States, is on trial and being persecuted in Turkey for no reason. They call him a spy, but I am more a spy than he is. Hopefully he will be allowed to come home to his beautiful family where he belongs!" Trump tweeted.
Turkey's Izmir city prosecutor's office said that sufficient evidence had been obtained to charge Brunson with aiding armed terrorist organizations and obtaining confidential government information for political and military espionage. Brunson is accused of working both with FETÖ ringleader Fetullah Gülen’s network and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) terrorist group, which has waged war against Turkey for more than 30 years and is designated a terrorist group by the United States and European Union.
3. U.S. defends consulate employee with FETÖ ties
On Oct. 8, the U.S. embassy suspended non-immigrant visas to Turkish nationals following the arrest of a local employee working at the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul, prompting a tit-for-tat response from Ankara. Metin Topuz, a long-standing consulate employee, was remanded to custody in October. His testimony stated he went to the U.S. in 2012 with former Istanbul Deputy Branch Director for Combating Financial Crime, Yasin Topcu and former police chief, Yakup Saygili as well as former bureau chief, Ibrahim Sener. They are the FETÖ suspects involved in carrying out the Dec. 17-25, 2013, so-called graft probe against top government officials to overthrow Turkey’s elected government. U.S. Department of State spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the U.S. was "very disappointed" by the Turkish government's arrest Topuz.
4. Strikes targeting PYD cause panic
The U.S. has also disapproved of Turkey’s operations against the Democratic Union Party (PYD), which is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK. One such incident was Turkey’s successful strikes of Mt. Sinjar in northern Iraq and Mt. Karacok in northeastern Syria in April 2017. State Department spokesman Mark Toner expressed “deep concern” over Turkish air strikes. Defense Department spokesman Marine Corps Maj. Adrian Rankine-Galloway said that “Turkey cannot pursue that fight.”
5. U.S. tries to “blackmail” Turkey over Russian S-400 purchase
Last December, Turkey announced it had concluded an agreement with Russia for the purchase of two S-400 systems by early 2020. The S-400 is Russia's most advanced long-range anti-aircraft missile system with a capacity of carrying three types of missiles capable of destroying targets including ballistic and cruise missiles. U.S. comments that Ankara risked sanctions over its purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems were described as "blackmail" by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Aaron Wess Mitchell, the U.S. state department official, had claimed that Turkey could face U.S. sanctions if it went ahead with plans to buy the Russian missile systems and the purchase may "adversely impact Turkey’s participation in the F-35 program."
6. Afrin operation destroys terror corridor
Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch, which destroyed the U.S.-designed terror corridor in Syria, has possibly been the most “concerning” move for Washington to date. Nauert has expressed concern at almost every press briefing. Commander of the anti-Daesh coalition Lt. Gen. Paul E. Funk II and Director of U.S. National Intelligence Dan Coats have been among the voices to join the choir of concern.
7. Washington backs party linked to PKK
When the leaders of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) were arrested in November 2016, the U.S. was quick to express deep concern. State Department Spokesperson John Kirby decried the decision, saying: “We’re deeply concerned that the prosecutors requested the sentence of 142 years in prison for the leaders of the HDP.” Turkey’s government says the HDP is linked to the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU. Many HDP lawmakers have been remanded for terror-related charges.
