U.S. Justice and State Department officials will fly
to Ankara to discuss government accusations against Fethullah Gulen, the exiled
cleric Turkey accuses of masterminding a failed military coup, according to a
Justice Department official.
President Tayyip Erdogan has demanded the United
States extradite Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania, over the July putsch in
which more than 200 people, including civilians, were killed. Turkish officials
have suggested refusal to repatriate Gulen for trial would seriously strain
ties between the two NATO allies.
Gulen, described by
Erdogan as a terrorist, denies any involvement in the coup attempt, which has
led to large-scale purges of the military, civil service, judiciary and
academia.
"U.S officials, including representatives of the
Departments of Justice and State, have offered to consult with the Turkish
government," the Justice Department official said, speaking on the
condition of anonymity.
"We can confirm that a delegation (with)
representatives of the Department of Justice and State will visit Turkey,"
the official added, but declined to give any date for the visit.
On Friday, Bloomberg news reported that the U.S.
Justice Department would dispatch a team to Turkey in the coming days to pursue
the allegations.
Reporting by Julia Edwards; editing by Ralph Boulton)
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