Prosecutors in Turkey, have formally requested the US Government for the temporary arrest of exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, over his alleged involvement in the attempted coup on the 15th of last month. The request filed yesterday by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s office says, it has determined the coup was staged upon orders by Gulen, and that he be arrested prior to the submission of a formal extradition request, the report said. Turkey’s Justice Ministry passed on the letter to the US, which accuses Gulen of 10 charges including attempting to overthrow the government.
The news comes as Prime Minister Binali Yildirim announced that US Vice President Joe Biden will visit Turkey, the first by a Western leader since the failed coup. The White House said Biden’s visit will take place on the 24th of this month. A delegation from the US Justice Department will also arrive on August 22 to discuss the extradition.
The US has asked the Turkish Government for evidence of Gulen’s involvement, and has said the extradition process must be allowed to take its course.
Earlier, an Istanbul-based court issued an arrest warrant against Gulen. Gulen has repeatedly denied the government’s accusation.
Since the July 15, around 26,000 people have been detained or arrested, mostly from the military, on suspicion of being involved in the failed putsch.