US sends delegation to Türkiye to address Gulen issue

(Baonghean.vn) - According to an anonymous source from the US Department of Justice on August 20, US Justice and State Department officials will travel to Ankara to discuss the Turkish government's accusation that cleric Fethullah Gulen was the mastermind of the failed coup on the night of July 15 in Ankara and Istanbul that killed more than 200 civilians.

Photo of cleric Fethullah Gulen at his home in Pennsylvania, USA in July 2016. Photo: Reuters.

President Tayyip Erdogan has twice asked the US to extradite Gulen, who is currently living in exile in Pennsylvania, but has been refused. Turkish officials have since stressed that refusing to extradite Gulen back to Türkiye would damage relations between the two NATO allies.

Gulen, described by Mr Erdogan as a terrorist, has denied any involvement in the coup.

The coup that took place on the night of July 15 in Ankara and Istanbul left more than 200 people, including civilians, dead. After the coup, President Erdogan carried out a large-scale purge targeting many subjects such as soldiers in the army, state officials, judicial staff and many academics.

Thanh Hien

(According to Reuters)