Turkey Requests That the U.S. Extradite a Former, Exiled Turkish Politician

Recep Erdogan, the President of Turkey, has formally asked the United States to extradite a former Turkish politician whom he accuses of having orchestrated a coup against the Turkish government earlier this month. The former politician, Fethullah Gülen, is currently exiled in the United States and is living in the state of Pennslyvania out of fear of returning to Turkey.

Fethullah Gülen, a former friend, and ally of President Erdogan has repeatedly denounced the attempted coup and has rejected any notion that he was responsible for the events that took place. Despite his attempts at absolving any responsibility for the violence that rocked Istanbul and Ankara, Erdogan is adamant in his belief that Gülen was the mastermind behind the coup attempt largely because of the ideology Gülen promotes.

Gülen is the founder of the Gülen Movement which largely promotes a “Hanafi” version of Islam. In addition, Gülen largely supports Western ideas of governance, such as multi-party democracies and a more secular government. The AKP, which is the party Erdogan is a member of, supports a Sunni version of Islam and seeks to implement more aspects of Islam into the private and public sphere. Erdogan is suspicious that Gülen wants to change the structure of Turkey’s government and put in place an alternative system that would stray away from Islamic morals and principles.

Gülen was quoted as saying “As someone who suffered under multiple military coups during the past five decades, it is especially insulting to be accused of having any link to such an attempt. I categorically deny such accusations.” He also said that his “position on democracy is really clear. Any attempt to overthrow the country is a betrayal to our unity and is treason.”

Though Erdogan has insisted that Gülen is responsible for the putsch, the Turkish government has yet to provide any evidence that would support this claim. Despite previous comments saying they would release the necessary documents proving Gülen’s involvement against the Turkish government, they have yet to do so, thus drawing skepticism from a number of entities including the United States government.

The United States has said that they would honor Turkey’s request for an extradition, but only if provided the necessary proof that would incriminate Gülen. To make matters more complicated, the extradition agreement between the United States and Turkey does not list indirect involvement in a coup as an “extraditable act.”

The United States finds itself in a difficult situation. While on one hand, it wants to ensure that its relationship and alliance with Turkey remain strong, on the other hand, it wants to appear as a bastion of democracy and freedom. Allowing people to be extradited with little to no evidence will surely set a negative precedent that could affect the image of democracy in the United States. This is, perhaps, one of the most influential reasons as to why the United States has refused to jump the gun and send Gülen back to Turkey. 

Regardless of what the outcome is, this incident will undoubtedly create a rift between the United States and Turkey behind closed doors.

Featured Image via www.en.kremlin.ru