U.S. Justice and State Department officials will fly to Ankara to discuss government accusations against Fethullah Gulen, the exiled cleric Turkey accuses of masterminding a failed military coup, according to a Justice Department official. The extradition request was discussed by the US official, who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity, ahead of a visit to Ankara on August 24 by Vice President Joe Biden.
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A woman checks her cell phone as she passes outside Marmara University Theological School mosque in Istanbul, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016.
Since July 2015, over 500 members of Turkish security forces and thousands of PKK members have been killed in confrontations inside Turkey and in northern Iraq, and more than 40,000 people have lost their lives in clashes with the PKK since 1984, when the group first started anti-government attacks.
Washington has asked for evidence of Gulen’s involvement and says the regular extradition process must take its course. “This man was the leader of the coup”.
The magazine said the Turkish secret service wanted the BND to use its influence to spur German lawmakers into taking action against Gulen supporters and extraditing them to Turkey.
Five people, including four soldiers were injured during a bomb attack by the PKK terrorist organization in eastern Turkey’s Van province on Friday, a security source said.
The Turkish government has declared a state of emergency and launched a massive crackdown on Gulen’s supporters in the aftermath of the coup, raising concerns among Turkey’s allies and human rights groups.
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Authorities in Turkey have arrested or suspended tens of thousands of police, troops, officials, judges and civil servants due to their alleged links to Gulen’s movement.
