土耳其当局对被指称为军事政变策划者与同情者进行镇压之际，美国与土耳其之间极为重要的战略关系日益紧张。
美国一方面对土耳其进入国家紧急状态后所采取的日益专制的措施表示震惊，一方面对民选政府战胜一场军事政变的努力表示支持，在这两者间左右为难。
另外，更令人恼火的是，一直有传言说美国在未遂政变中起了作用。美国国务院发言人柯比星期四将这种传言称为“荒唐可笑”。
土耳其政府下令关闭130多个包括电视频道、电台、报纸和新闻机构在内的媒体。大约90名记者不是被逮捕，就是被拘押。
柯比说：“我们显然极为担忧”，他强调说：“土耳其作为朋友和盟国对我们十分重要，他们的民主制度对我们十分重要。”
大约有1700名军人被解职，其中包括150名被怀疑跟未遂政变有关联的将军。
土耳其是北约成员国，与伊拉克和叙利亚接壤。在抗击伊拉克和叙利亚境内的伊斯兰国的战斗中，土耳其是美国的重要盟国。
The strategically critical U.S.-Turkey relationship is coming under increasing strain as authorities in Ankara crack down on alleged coup plotters and sympathizers.
Washington is caught between expressing alarm about increasingly authoritarian measures being taken under Turkey's state of emergency and showing support for a democratically elected government that fought off a military putsch.
A further source of irritation is persistent rumors in Turkey that the United States played a role in the attempted coup, something State Department spokesman John Kirby characterized on Thursday as “ludicrous.”
Turkey's government has ordered more than 130 media outlets - TV channels, radio stations, newspapers and news agencies - to close, and approximately 90 journalists have either been arrested or ordered detained.
“We're obviously deeply concerned,” said Kirby, who continued to stress that “Turkey matters to us as a friend and ally, and their democracy matters to us.”
About 1,700 military personnel have been dismissed, including 150 generals and admirals suspected of ties to the unsuccessful putsch.
Ankara is a critical American ally in the fight against the so-called Islamic State group operating in Iraq and Syria, both of which border Turkey, a NATO member.
