BRUSSELS (AP) – NATO’s top military officer said Wednesday that about 150 Turkish officers have been recalled or retired from the alliance’s high command since a failed coup attempt in Turkey, placing a significant burden on his staff.
U.S. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti said losing so many seasoned officers had placed “an extra load on our remaining people” and that “it obviously has an impact on their military.”
“I had talented, capable people here, and I’m taking a degradation on my staff,” he said.
In rare public comments about the July coup attempt’s impact at NATO, Scaparrotti also expressed concern about the welfare of the departed officers and their families. He said the chief of Turkey’s army had assured him they would be treated well.
Turkey, a NATO ally, has launched a large-scale crackdown on followers and institutions it thinks are linked to U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, accused by Ankara of masterminding the failed July 15 plot to topple the government.