California congressman on Turkey coup tweet: ‘I’m not pro-coup, but I’m not pro-Erdogan either’

2:29 P.M.

California congressman on Turkey coup tweet: ‘I’m not pro-coup, but I’m not pro-Erdogan either’

Sarah D. Wire

Facing criticism over a tweet some read as sympathetic to the military officials who launched a coup attempt in Turkey, U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Porter Ranch) told The Times he was trying to express his view that the Turkish government and its leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan don’t reflect democratic ideals.

“It’s hard to be as nuanced as you want to be about foreign policy in 140 characters,” Sherman said. “I’m not pro-coup, but I’m not pro-Erdogan either.”

Amid the chaotic coup attempt on Friday night, Sherman sent this tweet:

Sherman said Saturday his original message could have been more nuanced. It has since been shared and commented on hundreds on times. Many who responded were critical and wondered why Sherman seemed to be supporting the overthrow of a democratically elected government.

Among them was the Turkish ambassador to the United States, Serdar Kilic:

Sherman, whose district is home to large Assyrian, Chaldean, Syriac and Armenian communities, told The Times on Saturday that he and the ambassador have disagreed in the past over Sherman’s criticism of the controversial Erdogan.

Sherman followed up on his original tweet Friday night:

He also responded to Kilic:

President Obama and Secretary of State John F. Kerry have both stated that the U.S. government stands with the Turkish government.

The U.S. has launched many airstrikes against the Islamic State from southern Turkey, and considers Turkey be a critical ally in the fight against the terrorist group.

Sherman said he wasn’t surprised that he and Obama took different positions.

“The president plays a different role. We have military bases in Turkey, he wants to get along with whatever government is in power and has never really criticized the Turks for the role they played in [supporting the Islamic State] when they were in their heyday,” Sherman said. “What a president says matters; members of the House can say something just because it’s true.”