Turkey coup mastermind still unknown even as authorities arrest thousands

There’s controversy surrounding the real mastermind behind the failed coup attempt in Turkey last Friday.

The Turkish government has accused exiled religious leader Fetullah Gulen of being the mastermind. But former Turkish air force chief, Akin Ozturk has also been accused of leading the coup, an accusation Ozturk has denied.

General Akin Ozturk and 26 senior officers were on Monday brought before a tribunal and charged with treason.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has widened his crackdown on suspects thought to be supporters of the coup.

A total of 20,000 people have been suspended or detained in just three days. They include judges, police, civil servants and soldiers.

Washington is so far being circumspect over calls by the Turkish leader to extradite the man it accuses of being the coup’s mastermind, the US based cleric Fethullah Gulen.

The Americans are waiting for evidence of his involvement.

Gulen denies any connection and instead accuses Erdogan of manufacturing the coup in order to purge all opposition within the country.