U.S. President Donald Trump's likely nominee to be ambassador to the EU, Ted Malloch, has said that Fetullah Gülen, the leader of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), could be extradited to Turkey.
His remarks came during a televised interview with Turkish television channel NTV. “Why would Washington refuse to return Gülen after the legal process completes?" he said.
Recently, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım reiterated Ankara's determination to see Gülen extradited, adding that Gülen's extradition is among the top priorities for Ankara waiting to be solved between the United States and Turkey. “We will handle the issue very seriously soon," he said.
Gülen's extradition process is an issue Ankara wants an immediate solution to, although Washington has claimed that it has not receive necessary documents, despite Turkish officials repeatedly emphasizing that they have sent all necessary documents.
Gülen, the FETÖ leader, masterminded the failed July 15 coup attempt, and Turkey has demanded that the U.S. extradite Gülen to face trial.
Washington says it is cooperating with Ankara on the matter and asked its NATO ally for patience as it processes the extradition request to meet U.S. legal requirements.
Previously, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ said he hopes a new era begins between Turkey and the U.S. with Trump as president, and that the FETÖ issue be solved immediately.
Previous reports revealed that the FETÖ donated millions of dollars to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.
Another link between FETÖ and Clinton is reportedly that a Gülen-aligned group called the Alliance for Shared Values hired the Clinton campaign-connected Podesta Group to lobby Congress on its behalf.
The group sought to lobby for the “promotion of peace, tolerance and interfaith dialogue." The group's executive director is Alp Aslandoğan, a former professor at universities in Texas, according to the conservative Daily Caller.
He has also donated to Clinton's political endeavors, campaign finance records show.
The Podesta Group is a natural choice for those seeking influence with Clinton. The firm was co-founded by John Podesta, Clinton's campaign chairman, and his brother Tony, a major Clinton campaign bundler.
