© AP Photo / Vadim Ghirda
The Turkish attorneys want to temporarily halt all operations at the Incirlik base to execute a search warrant, Stars and Stripes reported Wednesday. The attorneys involved in the case are part of the Association for Social Justice and Aid, which comprises individuals who back Erdogan, the report said.
The criminal complaint says that scores of high-ranking US officers are linked to Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic cleric living in the US who Erdogan says was instrumental in the 2016 attempted coup against his government.
The attorneys seek the detention of US Cols. John Waler, Michael Manion, David Eaglen and David Trucksa; Lt. Cols.Tim Cook and Mack Coker; and Sgts. Thomas Cooper and Vegas Clark, according to Stars and Stripes. General Joseph Votel, head of US Central Command, is also named in the complaint.
According to exiled Turkish journalists at the Stockholm Center for Freedom, the lawsuit is a form of retaliation against Washington's decision to impose sanctions against two cabinet-level officials in Erdogan's administration: Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu and Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul.
A spokeswoman for the US Air Force presence at the Incirlik base told Stars and Stripes: "We continue to carry out our mission here at Incirlik Air Base, and we are proud of the relationship we have with our Turkish military partners."
Comment: Tensions between NATO allies Turkey and the U.S. are still high. The U.S. is threatening to withhold F-35s (no loss there), because of Turkey's plans to purchase Russian-made S-400s. Erdogan wants Turkey to join BRICS. Turkey has vowed to continue trade with Iran despite U.S. sanctions. And there seems to be more than meets the eye to the controversy over Pastor Brunson, currently being held in Turkey for his alleged involvement in the 2016 coup attempt (he allegedly has ties to the CIA, as does his wife who remains in the States). There are reports that an assassination attempt was recently made on Brunson - that the CIA is blocking a deal to see him returned to the States, because it would be better PR for them if he were to die in prison, thus giving them the opportunity to further demonize Turkey. See: