| The U.S. Justice Department is reviewing documents submitted by the Turkish government to evaluate Ankara’s request to extradite Fethullah Gulen, the Pennsylvania-based cleric that the government claims is responsible for the failed July 15 coup attempt. So far, Turkey has submitted 85 boxes of documents as evidence. While the materials are still being reviewed and State Department spokesman Mark Toner said yesterday that a determination has not been made, U.S. officials say that, so far, they are unconvinced by Turkey’s case. Discussions about the extradition request, though, are expected to continue for several months.
Turkey’s foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, has warned previously that denying the extradition request could damage U.S.-Turkey relations. The Turkish government has hired APCO Worldwide, a global public relations firm, to provide crisis communications in the United States for the next two weeks. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to visit Turkey at the end of August. |