Turkey seeks extradition of over 100 FETO suspects

ANKARA

Turkey has so far requested the extradition of over 100 Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO)-linked suspects from 40 countries following the last year failed coup attempt, according to the justice ministry figures.

Turkey asked five countries -- including Germany, the Netherlands and Bulgaria -- to hand over six FETO suspects before the coup attempt.

The figures revealed that Turkey has demanded a total of 118 FETO suspects’ extradition so far.

The United States, Germany, Greece, Belgium, Mozambique and Bosnia and Herzegovina are the countries, where Turkey applied for the extradition most.

Fetullah Gulen -- the FETO’s U.S.-based leader who Ankara sees orchestrated the defeated coup -- and Emre Uslu, one of the most prominent members of the organization-- are among those 118 people.

At least 250 people were martyred and 2,193 others sustained injuries in the July 15, 2016 coup attempt.

Turkish officials accused the FETO network of plotting to overthrow the government as the culmination of a long-running campaign to infiltrate the country’s institutions including the military, the police and the judiciary.

At least 12 countries have handed over 16 FETO members to Turkey so far.

Saudi Arabia extradited 3 suspects, the United Arab Emirates 2, Romania 2, while Bulgaria, Malaysia, Mozambique, Bahrain, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan returned 1 FETO suspect each.

However, Greece turned down the Ankara's request to extradite eight former Turkish soldiers who fled to Greece hours after the defeated July 15 coup.

There has been also no progress on Turkey’s request from US to extradite Gulen.

Reporting by Kemal Karadag;Writing by Nilay Kar