Obama administration ‘will consider’ extraditing cleric who is accused of orchestrating failed coup in Turkey
Turkey’s government would have to prove cleric, Fethullah Gulen’s wrongdoing in failed coup attempt before US could extradite him
Gulen has condemned attempted coup by military officers in Turkey
Prime Minister Benali Yildirim said 161 people were killed and 1,440 wounded in the overnight violence and 2,839 plotters were detained
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government is blaming chaos on Gulen, who lives in exile in Pennsylvania
US Secretary of State, John Kerry, said US had no prior indication of coup attempt, which came as Erdogan was on vacation
By VALERIE EDWARDS
DAILYMAIL.COM
16 July 2016
The Obama administration would entertain an extradition request for the US-based cleric that Turkey’s president is blaming for a failed coup attempt, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Saturday.
But he said Turkey’s government would have to prove Fethullah Gulen’s wrongdoing.
Kerry said Turkey hasn’t yet requested that the US send home Gulen, who left Turkey in 1999.
Gulen has harshly condemned the attempted coup attempt by military officers that resulted in a night of explosions, air battles and gunfire that left more than 150 people dead.
But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government is blaming the chaos on the cleric, who lives in exile in Pennsylvania and promotes a philosophy that blends a mystical form of Islam with staunch advocacy of democracy, education, science and interfaith dialogue.
Erdogan has long accused Gulen, a former ally, of trying to overthrow the government. Washington has never found any evidence.
‘We haven’t received any request with respect to Mr Gulen,’ Kerry told reporters.
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