‘He is blind or deaf,’ Turkish defense minister says about German intel chief

ISTANBUL

Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Işık has criticized the statements of German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) head Bruno Kahl, who said Turkey failed to convince that U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen was behind the July 15, 2016 failed coup attempt in Turkey.

“If the person who is at the top of Germany’s intelligence service says ‘we cannot see who is behind the coup attempt,’ he is either blind, deaf or feels the need to hide the suspects of it [coup attempt]. This is not explainable. This brings questions to minds. Did you collaborate with them? Which part are you taking place in?” he said. 

“It could be more suitable to say ‘we do not want to see it’ instead of ‘we cannot see who is behind it,’” he added.
     
He said the statement was “unfortunate,” noting it raised questions on whether Germany was behind the thwarted coup attempt.

“A statement like this from Germany’s intelligence chief raises doubts about Germany, and makes us ask if Germany was behind the coup,” he said.

Kahl told German magazine Der Spiegel on March 18 that the Turkish government failed to convince them that Gülen was behind the coup attempt.

“Turkey has tried on different levels to convince us of that fact, but they have not succeeded,” Kahl said.