The State Department’s announcement came after U.S. officials met their Turkish counterparts in Ankara to discuss Gulen, who has lived in rural Pennsylvania for the past 17 years in self-imposed exile.
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Shortly before Biden’s arrival, Turkish forces launched a major operation inside Syria to clear Islamic State militants out of the Syrian frontier town Jarablus, backed by US -led coalition warplanes. Turkey’s leaders firmly believe the cleric who is living in exile in the U.S., inspired July’s failed coup attempt.
The spokesperson said once the U.S. makes a full assessment of the documents, it will make a determination on the extradition case.
Only the US Federal Court can make decision to extradite Fethullah Gulen, said the US Vice President Joe Biden.
Erdogan said Ankara and Washington were strategic partners and keeping Gulen would not benefit the United States.
Washington has acknowledged the extradition request, but say the papers from Ankara are not in connection with the failed coup.
In an exclusive interview with Al Arabiya News Channel, Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen said he was confident that the United States will not extradite him, even as Turkey formally submitted its request earlier in the week. Senior officials in the Obama administration say Turkey’s extradition requests have been based on allegations of other crimes against Gulen, not evidence of involvement in the coup attempt. He is also expected to meet with the prime minister.
Turkey’s President said the death toll as a result of the military coup attempt stood at 246 people, excluding the coup plotters, and over 2,000 people were wounded. Turkey has accused the West of being more concerned about the civil liberties of detained or sacked officials than victims of the coup attempt. More than 80,000 people have been dismissed from public sector jobs. Almost 40,000 people have been detained. “There is the Syrian issue as well as Turkish-US relations”, he added.
Turkey’s prime minister again called on the U.S.to speed up the process in the Gulen case.
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The U.S. hopes such demonstrations of solidarity can both ease the tensions and allow for improved cooperation in the fight against Islamic State.
