Fethullah Gülen, the US-based leader of the Gülenist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), that attempted a military coup in Turkey, called on the US government to reject Turkish legal demand for his extradition.
Following the initiatives from Ankara, the FETÖ leader Gülen has rapidly released a statement through this US-based Alliance for Shared Values (AfSV), urging Washington to reject the Turkish demand.
“I urge the US government to reject any effort to abuse the extradition process to carry out political vendettas," Gülen said in a statement.
He called President Erdoğan's statement to punish the perpetrator of the coup attempt as “ridiculous" and “irresponsible".
A group of Turkish soldiers loyal to Gülen attempted a coup on Friday evening with the support of other FETÖ members inside Turkish government institutes. But a combined resistance from Turkish people, politicians and police forces had foiled the attempt.
The Turkish government and Armed Forces said that Fethullah Gülen, who has been living in Pennsylvania for over a decade in self-exile and established a wide network among Turkish state institutes, especially in police, judiciary and military, had planned and arranged the coup by activating his followers hidden inside the military.
Ankara repeatedly shouted for extradition of Gülen and made several request to Washington, but US authority rejected the issue.
Following the failed coup attempt, the Turkish public also raised the issue and demanded his extradition more effectively.
The Turkish government has sent four official documents, including some rulings form higher courts in Turkey, to the US authority and demanded his extraction officially.
Turkish government, judiciary and military even opposition political party leader along with the public gathered in streets and squares all said that Gülen was the planner of the failed coup, that killed at least 240 people, mostly civilians and injured over 1500 other, and he should be punished in Turkey.
