TURKEY WANTS GULEN EXTRADITED: The Examiner says Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly wants the US to extradite Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. The Wall Street Journal reports the request has been made by President Erdogan — on live television, no less. He framed his televised extradition request as a personal appeal to President Barack Obama. Now that is dramatic. Big ego to big ego, so to speak. Turkish officials claim Gulen was involved in the coup attempt but as The Journal notes, Turkey was preparing an extradition request before the coup. Gulen lives in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania and leads the Hizmet movement. At one time he supported Erdogan. He is now a harsh critic of corruption in Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Erdogan’s harsh treatment of political opponents. Gulen suggests that Erdogan staged the coup, in other words, the whole thing is a big con.

How will Obama handle this one? Was the personal appeal designed to put Obama in a bind? Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Syria borders Turkey. Obama hasn’t handled events in Syria well, to put it mildly. Somehow the mainstream media have already forgotten the State Department’s Dissent 51. Yes, a Dissent Channel cable signed by 51 Foreign Service Officers. Would that rapid memory loss have occurred during a Republican administration?

A SECOND UPDATE: Early commenters think Obama will kowtow to Erdogan and send Gulen to Turkey. However, one compares Gulen to other political refugees from the region. “Considering the fact that we’re allowing settlement here of “political refugees” by the million, I can’t see how Obama can possibly say anything but “Sorry, Mr. Erdogan.” Ouch.