WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – US President Barack Obama yesterday pledged US assistance to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the investigation into last week’s attempted coup, the White House said.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the two leaders also discussed in their phone call Turkey’s request to extradite US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, Erdogan’s bitter foe who the Turkish government alleges was linked to the coup attempt.

Obama “lauded the Turkish people’s resolve against this violent intervention and their commitment to democracy”, the White House said in a statement, in reference to the coup bid.

“President Obama made clear that the United States is willing to provide appropriate assistance to Turkish authorities investigating the attempted coup.”

Earlier yesterday, Turkey presented “materials” to the US government “related to Mr Gulen’s status,” Earnest told reporters, stopping short of confirming that a formal request had been made because the documents are still being reviewed.

“The Department of Justice and the Department of State will review those materials consistent with the requirements of the extradition treaty between the United States and Turkey that’s been on the books for more than 30 years now.”

While Earnest would not confirm the US government’s position on Gulen’s possible extradition, noting that the decision is not that of Obama, he stressed that the reclusive cleric is entitled to certain rights by law.

“There also is due process to which people who live in the United States are entitled to. And we will make sure that due process is followed as well,” he said.

The decision of whether to extradite Gulen “is a legal decision that is made pursuant to a legal process, part of which is codified in a long-standing treaty between United States and Turkey. So that’s the process that (we) will follow,” Earnest said.

Turkish authorities earlier scrapped all TV and radio station licences linked to what they called the “Fethullah Terrorist Organization”, the government’s derogatory name for the Gulen movement.

Last week’s coup bid was the most serious threat to Erdogan since he took power first as prime minister in 2003, and saw rebel troops close down bridges in Istanbul, parliament bombed from the sky and protesters shot in the streets.

It has raised deep concerns about the stability of the strategic NATO partner, which has a key air base used in the US-led fight against the Islamic State group that has a large nuclear weapons stockpile.

Obama “strongly condemned” the violent uprising in his phone call with Erdogan yesterday and “urged that the investigations and prosecution of the coup’s perpetrators be conducted in ways that reinforce public confidence in democratic institutions and the rule of law,” the White House statement said.

Turkey has launched a massive post-coup purge. The crackdown on military, police and the judiciary has now widened to include the media and schools. Thousands have been detained.