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Turkey formally requests USA to arrest Fethullah Gulen

Late on July 15 in Ankara and Istanbul, rogue soldiers used tanks and fighter jets to bomb parliament and control bridges in a bid to seize power, but were defeated by pro-government supporters.

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The justice ministry has demanded that USA authorities arrest the preacher on charges of “ordering and commanding the attempted coup”, the Anadolu news agency reported.

Mr Erdogan discussed the issue with Barack Obama at the G20 summit in China earlier this month, with a U.S. official saying the President considered the issue a legal, not a political one.

Ankara accuses Gulen of giving the order for the failed coup attempt and commanding it, a charge he denies.

It was the first time Turkey had formally asked Washington to arrest Gulen, who now lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, the agency said. At least 40,000 have been detained.

The request also included Ankara chief prosecutor’s warrant for Gulen’s arrest.

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Turkey’s government has said the defeated coup, which left 240 people martyred and almost 2,200 injured, was organized by followers of Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the US state of Pennsylvania since 1999, and his FETO network. Even if approved by a judge, an extradition request would still have to go to the US Secretary of State, who can consider non-legal factors such as humanitarian arguments.

US based cleric Fethullah Gulen at his home in Saylorsburg Pennsylvania