The US has received a formal extradition request from Turkey for US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, the US State Department said Tuesday.
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For weeks, Turkey has said that it requested Gulen’s extradition to face trial in his home country.
Fethullah Gulen has lived in the USA state of Pennsylvania for the past 17 years in self-imposed exile. Gülen has denied any involvement.
From the US, Gulen has run an extensive social network in Turkey, promoting interfaith dialogue and providing social services.
State Department spokesman Mark Toner says the U.S.is now considering the merits of the request.
The US has said it wants additional evidence from Turkey to substantiate its claim that Gulen was behind the overthrow attempt in July.
A team of Justice and State department officials have also been dispatched to Turkey to discuss the extradition request.
President Erdogan made a statement at a recent rally, in which he demanded: “I call on the United States and President Barack Obama: Dear Mr President, I told you this before, either arrest Fethullah Gulenor or return him to Turkey”.
The four U.S. officials are expected to discuss with their Turkish counterparts on Tuesday and Wednesday the extradition of Gulen, whom Ankara has blamed for masterminding the failed July 15 coup attempt.
Nearly 200 people, at least 47 of them civilians, were killed during the attempted coup.
Adding to US worries, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim recently appeared warm to the possibility of Syrian President Bashar Assad maintaining a role in a transitional government.
He has been staying in the USA since 1999.
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US Vice President Joe Biden who was in Latvia on Tuesday is due to meet Turkish leaders including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later on Wednesday (Aug. 24). As the USA issued denials, Turkish officials complained that Washington was slow to support Turkey’s government at its time of greatest need, even though the US had expressed support for Erdogan during the violence that claimed 270 lives.
