Turkey has sent a total of seven extradition requisitions to the U.S. for the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) leader Fetullah Gülen, Justice Minister Abdülhamit Gül said Thursday.
Speaking to the Parliament's Budget Committee on Nov. 23 in Ankara, Gül said that Turkey's expectation from U.S. authorities to hand over Gülen to the independent and impartial Turkish judiciary continues.
"It is the Turkish nation's right to expect such a move within the framework of international and bilateral agreements between Turkey and the U.S." he said.
Gülen, the leader of FETÖ, has been living in U.S since 1999. He is accused of orchestrating last year's defeated coup attempt that left 249 people dead and nearly 2,200 injured.
FETÖ is also accused of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state by infiltrating institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary. It first tried to topple the government in 2013.
The justice minister also accused U.S. authorities of protecting Gülen by not taking the necessary steps.
"If necessary steps are not taken on this issue, it means a guilty person is being protected," he said.
Ankara officially submitted evidence to the U.S. in October 2016, regarding Gülen's network that formed a quasi-state within the Turkish government and attempted to topple it with the ultimate intent to take over the state through a vicious coup.
Despite Ankara's determined efforts, the administration of former U.S. President Barack Obama took no action against the U.S.-based terrorist leader. Under normal procedures, Gülen should have already been arrested since Turkish authorities issued an official request for his extradition on Sept. 13 under the 1979 treaty between Turkey and the U.S.
Former Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ had gone to the U.S. several times to expedite the legal process and met with U.S. authorities, including U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. However, no formal steps have been taken on the issue so far.
Regarding ongoing FETÖ trials, Gül said that all the legal processes have been continuing with full transparency and fair trials and that the Turkish legal system is putting in much effort to complete all of these cases in a reasonable time.
The minister also commented on the independent State of Emergency Procedures Investigation Commission (OHAL Commission), which evaluates the complaints of those who say they have been unfairly treated during the state of emergency.He said that after the formation of the commission, 25,000 applications that were rejected by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) had been transferred to the OHAL Commission and as a result of this, the number of pending trials about Turkey at the ECtHR have dropped to 8,300.