Gulen likely to flee US to escape extradition: Turkish minister

The Turkish justice minister says the Ankara government is receiving intelligence that US-based opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom it accuses to have orchestrated the July 15 failed coup attempt, could flee his residence in the northern US state of Pennsylvania amid speculations of his extradition.

Bekir Bozdag told privately-owned Turkish-language Haberturk television news network on Thursday that the 75-yerar-old could flee to Australia, Mexico, Canada, South Africa or Egypt, which do not have extradition treaties with Turkey. 

Gulen has condemned the coup attempt and denied any involvement in the violence. He has instead stated that the botched putsch may have been staged by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself as an excuse to crack down on dissent and expand his presidential powers.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has said Washington would consider Ankara’s extradition request, but Gulen would be sent back only after compelling evidence corroborated his culpability.

Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also called on the US and Germany to extradite suspects linked to Gulen’s network to Turkey.

"Our relations will be affected if the US does not give us Gulen. It is inevitable. We don't want to think about the bad scenarios," he pointed out.

“So there is something we want from Germany too. Many prosecutors and judges of the parallel state structure (Gulen network) escaped to Germany, and Germany has to extradite them,” Cavusoglu told CNN Turk television news network.

Armed forces chief spared discharge in shake-up

Turkey’s Supreme Military Council decided on Thursday to keep Chief of the General Staff General Hulusi Akar in his post.

The measure came a day after the Turkish military dismissed more than 1,000 soldiers, including such key military figures as General Akin Ozturk and General Adem Huduti over affiliation to Gulen’s movement.

Ozturk was a member of the Supreme Military Council, while Huduti was the commander of the Second Army.

'Worrying post-coup arrests'

Separately, Turkish security forces have arrested Arda Akin (seen below), a reporter of Hurriyet daily newspaper, as part of the government’s massive crackdown following the July 15 botched putsch. 

On Wednesday, scores of media outlets, including three news agencies, 45 newspapers, 16 television channels, 23 radio stations, 15 magazines and 29 publishing houses, were ordered shuttered.

The European Union and journalist associations have expressed grave concern over the ongoing crackdown on Turkish media, calling on Ankara to respect fundamental freedoms.

Turkey “needs to aspire to the highest possible democratic standard and practices, including on the freedom of the media,” EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic told reporters in the Belgian capital city of Brussels on Thursday.

"It is worrying that, following the entry into force of the state of emergency in Turkey, arrest warrants have been issued against a large number of journalists and a number of outlets have been shut down,” she commented.

Kocijancic said it is “extremely important the Turkish authorities respect under any circumstances the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk