Ankara presses Netherlands on terror-linked extraditions

ANKARA

Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gürlek hosted his Dutch counterpart, David Van Weel, in the capital on April 1, where they discussed extradition requests sought by Turkish authorities from Amsterdam.

“We currently have 217 extradition requests concerning members of the FETÖ terrorist organization and eight related to PKK. As we regard the Netherlands as an allied country, we kindly request the return of these fugitives within the framework of judicial cooperation,” Gürlek said.

The Turkish minister also called for asylum or residency rights granted in the Netherlands to members of both organizations to be withheld and for previously granted statuses to be reassessed.

The Dutch minister’s visit to Türkiye also coincided with the anniversary of the killing of prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz, who was shot dead in Istanbul in 2015 while on duty.

Gürlek recalled that Türkiye has also requested the extradition of Musa Aşoğlu, the leader of the DHKP-C terrorist organization who ordered the attack.

“Unfortunately, no positive step has been taken on this matter so far. We sincerely believe that the demands and sensitivities we have conveyed will find a response with the Dutch authorities,” he said.

Beyond counterterrorism efforts, Gürlek noted that Türkiye has extradition agreements with many countries under mutual legal assistance frameworks to combat international crimes, particularly drug trafficking, money laundering and human trafficking.

“Thanks to the simultaneous ‘Cloud Operation’ conducted between the Netherlands and Türkiye in April last year, drug traffickers were apprehended and evidence, along with illicit proceeds, was seized.

“In this context, we expect that those located in the Netherlands and wanted on drug trafficking charges will likewise be extradited to our country,” he added.

Gürlek also stressed that the presence of the Turkish community in the Netherlands, as well as the safety and well-being of Turkish citizens, holds particular importance.

The Turkish minister said Ankara is closely and with concern monitoring the rise of racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia, especially across Western Europe.