Police teams have arrested 136 courthouse personnel as part of an investigation into the July 15 abortive coup.
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Yildirim’s comments, at a briefing for local reporters, are the latest to take aim at Turkey’s North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ally and coincided with a report that an Istanbul prosecutor wrote to USA authorities requesting the detention of the cleric, Fethullah Gulen. The trip comes at a time of strained relations between Ankara and Washington over demands that the USA turn over an Islamic cleric blamed for organizing the coup attempt.
Detained Police searched offices at the main court in the Caglayan district and at two other courts on the European side of the city, Anadolu said.
Biden will meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim “to discuss the US-Turkey relationship and a range of issues of importance to both nations”, CNN quoted the White House as saying in a statement on Saturday.
His visit scheduled for August 24 will mark the first by a top Western leader since the attempted coup on July 15th. But Turkey has not said clearly whether it has filed a formal extradition request.
“Our initial assessment is that he was trying to reach PYD-controlled parts of northern Syria in an attempt to seek protection”, the official said.
“In recent weeks, runaway operatives that successfully reached Iraq have been accompanied by PKK elements on the ground”, the officer said.
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The Istanbul, Bakirkoy, and Gaziosmanpasa courts were raided as part of an ongoing investigation into the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the source said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media. They were flown to Istanbul for questioning. The United States as well as other world powers have expressed concerns about Mr Erdogan reprisals following the coup. “Whether or not the anti-Americanism in Turkey will continue is also dependent on this”. Several military attaches are also on the run after refusing to return home.
