Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has cracked down on alleged supporters of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. Turkish authorities charged Golge with ties to self-exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Erdogan accused of orchestrating a mutiny. She called on Turkey to make sure Golge can "return home as soon as possible" and pledged that the United States would be seeking the release of detained local employees of US diplomatic missions in Turkey. The United States has already suspended Turkey's participation in the F-35 fighter jet program, in which Turkey had invested $1 billion. The United States and Turkey have also clashed over Syria, with Trump promising to pull out all 2,000 US troops from the war-battered nation following a December phone conversation with Erdogan.

Source: Bangkok Post May 29, 2019 21:47 UTC