Erdogan Slams Germany for Granting Asylum to Turkish Coup-Linked Officers

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday accused Germany of providing political asylum to terrorists, referring specifically to the individuals who are suspected of being involved in the July 2016 coup attempt in Turkey.

ANKARA (Sputnik) – In early May, Berlin granted political asylum to dozens of Turkish servicemen who sought refugee status for fear of prosecution in Turkey during the government's post-coup crackdown. In early April, media reported, citing the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), that 262 Turkish military and diplomatic personnel had requested asylum in Germany.

"Granting asylum is Germany’s problem. It is used to host terrorists, so, there will be 10 more. And we will continue to catch them," Erdogan told reporters commenting on the reports before leaving for Brussels, where the NATO summit, which is expected to focus on the alliances' role in countering terrorism and equitable distribution of NATO defense expenses, is set to take place Thursday.

Ankara accused Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who has been living in the US state of Pennsylvania since 1999, and his followers, of playing a key role in the military coup that took place in Turkey on July 15. Gulen has refuted the allegations against him. The German Interior Ministry has said that the Turkish side has sent over 6,000 requests for Gulen supporters' extradition over the past several years, none of which have been granted.