Lobbying 2016: Turkey deploys lobbyist army to shut down Gulen

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long accused Washington of siding with his country's enemies in Syria and harboring them inside the United States.

Heady after the failure of a coup he has called a "gift from God," the Turkish president now seems convinced he can force the United States to rethink its support for the Syrian Kurds and turn over his Pennsylvania-based nemesis, Fethullah Gulen. Erdogan demanded the cleric's extradition at an Istanbul rally on July 16, less than 24 hours after the coup attempt.

"I call on the United States and President Barack Obama: Dear Mr. President, I told you this before, either arrest Fethullah Gulen or return him to Turkey. You didn't listen," Erdogan said ominously. "If we are strategic partners or model partners, do what is necessary."

The Obama administration has demurred, warning that any such action would need to go through the legal system — a process that could take months or even years. Gulen has denied any involvement in the coup and insists he is being scapegoated.