Documents sent to US enough for extradition of Gülen: CHP leader
ISTANBUL
Turkey has sent enough documents to Washington for the extradition of the Pennsylvania-based cleric Fethullah Gülen, who is widely accused of masterminding the failed 2016 coup attempt, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has said.
Speaking in a live interview on private broadcaster Kanal D on June 11, Kılıçdaroğlu said the documents Ankara sent to U.S. authorities regarding Gülen’s extradition are enough to take legal action.
His statements came after a four-person CHP delegation visited Turkey’s Justice Ministry to examine the documents submitted against Gülen.
The delegation handed him a report on the documents, said the CHP leader.
“There is a three-page report that came to me. The same report was given to [CHP presidential candidate] Mr. Muharrem İnce. There are some procedural shortcomings, but these are not vital procedural shortcomings. According to the documents [sent to the U.S.], Gülen must be extradited to us,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.
Meanwhile, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ on June 12 said İnce “should apologize to Turkey” regarding his previous comments that Ankara had not demanded Gülen from the U.S. in line with “appropriate” procedures.
“Mr. İnce should act like an honest politician and apologize to Turkey. Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu proved Mr. İnce wrong,” Bozdağ said during an Editorial Desk meeting of state-run Anadolu Agency.
Turkish authorities have repeatedly criticized the U.S. administration for not extraditing Gülen.
The Gülen network, which the Turkish authorities refer to as the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), and its leader Gülen are widely believed to have orchestrated the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016 which left 251 people killed and nearly 2,200 injured.
Ankara also accuses the Gülen network of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.
