Turkey: West failed to share details of security threat
Ankara: Turkey for a second day on Friday railed against a group of Western countries that temporarily shut their consulates in Istanbul, accusing them of failing to share information on the security threat that led to the closures and of aiming to cause harm to Turkey.
This week, nine Western nations either closed down their consulates in Istanbul or issued travel warnings to citizens visiting Turkey, citing security threats. The measures angered Turkey, which on Thursday summoned the countries’ ambassadors in protest.
Turkey’s interior minister accused the countries of waging “psychological warfare” and attempting to wreck Turkey’s tourism industry.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu insisted that the nine countries did not share information with Turkish authorities about the alleged security threat.
His ministry has identified the nine countries as the United States, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Britain, Germany, Belgium, France and Italy. “They tell us that they have concrete information that there is a threat. ... But where did it come from, where is the threat, who will carry it out? There is no information about that,” Cavusoglu said during a joint news conference with his Argentinian counterpart. “We asked our Interior Ministry.
They say there is no concrete sharing of information. ... We asked our intelligence agency. There is no concrete sharing of information.”
The minister also said Turkey suspects an “ulterior motive” behind the closures, including alleged intent to hurt President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections that are likely to be held on May 14.
“If they are trying to create the image that Turkey is unstable and that there is a threat of terrorism, this does not fit friendship or the spirit of alliance, he said.
The German Embassy this week cited the risk of possible retaliatory attacks following Quran-burning incidents in some European countries in announcing the closure.
