Failed coup

In Turkey, a criminal complaint targets two senior U.S. generals

A Turkish lawyer has filed a criminal complaint against two top U.S. generals, accusing them of involvement in the July 15 coup attempt by members of the Turkish military.

The complaint, which has to be accepted by Turkish prosecutors before any action is taken, was filed Tuesday and names Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff; Gen. Joseph Votel, the top U.S. commander for the Middle East, and U.S. National Intelligence Director James Clapper. It alleges that the American officials conspired with a faction of the Turkish military at Turkey's Incirlik Air Base, a key hub for U.S. military air operations against the Islamic State group in nearby Iraq and Syria.

Turkish fighter jets and refueling tankers used in the coup attempt came from Incirlik, according to the complaint.

It comes just days after Votel issued an unusual statement denying the conspiracy theories that were circulated in Turkish media. "Any reporting that I had anything to do with the recent unsuccessful coup attempt in Turkey is unfortunate and completely inaccurate," Votel said in a July 29 statement issued by U.S. Central Command.