Discussion on FETÖ leader Gülen's extradition to continue, US envoy says

The discussion on the extradition of Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) leader Fetullah Gülen will continue intensely in the weeks and months ahead, the U.S. Embassy's charge d'affaires, Philip Kosnett, said Thursday.

In reply to a question from Anadolu Agency (AA) in Parliament, Kosnett said the U.S. and Turkey had signed an extradition treaty "which governs the process for extradition."

"Our Justice Department and the Turkish Justice Ministry are collaborating very closely to make sure that the American sides receive all the necessary information to pursue this matter. This is an ongoing discussion that we will be continuing quite intensely in the weeks and months ahead," he said.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday accused global powers of hypocrisy in the execution of justice, promotion of democracy and freedoms, saying they only defend these values when it is in their own interests. "When the U.S. asked Turkey to extradite 12 people in the past 15 years on the grounds that they are terrorists, we showed goodwill and extradited them, but when we ask for Gülen with 4,500 files of evidence, they don't," Erdoğan said in his speech at the Justice Council held at the Presidential Palace complex, referring to Ankara's demand on the extradition of FETÖ leader Gülen.

Turkey has repeatedly called for Gülen's extradition in the aftermath of the 2016 failed coup, which was allegedly orchestrated by officers loyal to FETÖ and left 249 people dead and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary, as well as having a large network of influence and intimidation abroad. Gülen has been living the in the U.S. since 1999 in self-imposed exile.