ANKARA (AA) – Turkey’s main opposition leader has said Pennsylvania-based preacher Fetullah Gulen, accused of being behind the deadly July 15 coup attempt, must be extradited.
“If Fetullah Gulen says: ‘I want to be acquitted’ he has to come and be prosecuted by the independent courts in Turkey.” Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu told reporters after a visit to a police facility in the Golbasi area of Ankara.
The July 15 deadly coup attempt occurred when rogue elements in the Turkish military tried to overthrow the country’s democratically elected government.
Turkey accuses Gulen and his so-called ‘parallel state’ of being behind the coup and has called for his extradition to Turkey to face trial.
On July 18, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in Brussels that his country has “a formal process for dealing with extradition requests” and that Turkey “must send evidence, not allegations”.
On July 19, Turkey sent four files to the U.S. authorities regarding the preacher’s extradition.
Kilicdaroglu went to say that it was important for Turkish people to show their sensitivity to the coup attempt by taking to the streets.
People from across the country took to streets from the very beginning of the coup attempt, shouting pro-democracy and anti-coup slogans.
Turkey’s government has repeatedly said the deadly plot, which martyred at least 246 people and injured more than 2,100 others, was organized by Gulen followers.
