Sanaa: The Obama administration failed to adequately respond to Trkiye's July 15, 2016 coup attempt and did not fully understand Ankara's warnings about the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), Trkiye's former ambassador to Washington said.
According to Anadolu Agency, Serdar Kilic, who served as Trkiye's US ambassador during the attempted coup, explained that Turkish officials had repeatedly briefed Washington on FETO's structure, activities, and alleged harm to both Trkiye and the US. Kilic emphasized that the information shared with the US was not sufficiently understood.
Kilic, now Trkiye's special representative for normalization talks with Armenia, recounted contacting senior US officials following the coup attempt. He requested a statement supporting Trkiye's elected government and condemning the attack. However, Kilic noted that then-US Secretary of State John Kerry's initial remarks focused on restraint, which he described as a very unfortunate statement. The administration took four days to explicitly use the word 'condemnation.'
Kilic stated that US officials informed him a statement was awaiting President Barack Obama's approval, but they could not reach him because he was in the White House Situation Room. Kilic argued that Obama should have been informed and immediately expressed support for a key NATO ally, highlighting an attitude incompatible with the relationship between two allies.
Kilic described an unusual reception at the White House on July 15, noting a shortened program and a brief address by Obama. This deviation from the norm led him to suspect that something extraordinary was happening.
After the coup attempt, a senior US State Department official contacted Kilic with concerns about the safety of American citizens in Trkiye. Kilic reacted angrily, expecting a condemnation of the attack on Trkiye's democracy and expressions of solidarity.
Kilic also mentioned that then-Vice President Joe Biden visited Trkiye on Aug. 24, 2016, toured sites bombed during the coup attempt, and acknowledged that the US response had come too late. Furthermore, Kilic highlighted that Trkiye provided extensive evidence to US authorities regarding FETO and its US-based schools, delivering over 140 files to US national security advisers, ministers, and other senior officials.
On July 15, 2016, a faction within the Turkish Armed Forces linked to FETO attempted to overthrow Trkiye's elected government, resulting in the bombing of parliament and other state institutions, and the deaths of 253 people, with thousands wounded.