The United States is considering Turkey's requests to extradite Fathullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of plotting a coup attempt in 2016, the State Department said Thursday.
"We have received several requests from the Turkish government ... concerning Mr. Gulen," ministry spokeswoman Heather Naort said. "We continue to analyze the elements put forward by the Turkish government to support its request to extradite him," she said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accuses Gulen, whom he once considered his ally and became his enemy, of being behind the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016. But the Pennsylvania preacher, who holds the Green Card, denied this.
The United States has on more than one occasion confirmed that it wants clear legal evidence from Ankara to proceed with legal proceedings in the United States for extradition.
The Turkish authorities launched a large-scale arrests of tens of thousands of alleged Gulen supporters and dismissed more than 160,000 government employees, including military personnel.
Gulen's extradition to Ankara comes weeks after the release of US priest Andrew Branson, who was held in Turkey, in a deal between the two countries, including the lifting of US sanctions on two Turkish ministers.
