Former Turkish Envoy: Obama’s 4-Day Silence on Coup Bid Was ‘Unfortunate’

Serdar Kilic, a former Turkish ambassador, criticized the Obama administration for waiting four days to explicitly condemn the 2016 coup attempt in Turkey. Kilic said Washington’s delayed response was “unfortunate,” despite repeated warnings from Ankara about the threat posed by the Gulen movement, which Turkey designates as FETO. The coup attempt, which took place on July 15, 2016, left hundreds dead and nearly 2,200 injured. Turkey had urged its allies, including the United States, to quickly denounce the uprising. However, the U.S. official condemnation came only after a four-day delay. Kilic’s remarks highlight ongoing tensions between the two NATO allies over the handling of the coup and the extradition of Fethullah Gulen, the cleric Turkey blames for orchestrating it. The former envoy did not provide new evidence but restated long-standing Turkish grievances.