ANKARA – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has once again pushed the United States to extradite preacher Fethullah Gulen, saying that the US’ apparent reluctance in handing the preacher over was “intolerable.”
In an interview, Erdogan felt displeased that the Obama administration was asking for documents for the extradition of Pennsylvania-based Gulen. The Erdogan regime considers the preacher to be the mastermind of last month’s botched coup in Turkey.
“If we request the extradition of a terrorist then you should fulfill that,” he said. “If you start asking for documents and what not, then it’s a huge obstacle in our way of fighting terrorism.”
Fethullah Gulen who has been residing in the US since 1999 has denied the allegations leveled against him regarding his involvement in coup bid.
Reflecting on the demands of Turkey, US Secretary of State John Kerry said on July 18 that Turkey should present “genuine evidence” and “not allegations” against Gulen for extradition.
Meanwhile, a crackdown in Turkey after the unsuccessful coup attempt is still continuing amid international concerns. Reportedly, some 18,000 people have been detained in the post-coup crackdown.
