Ankara seeks extradition of key coup suspect from Germany

A Turkish court is seeking the extradition from Germany of a top suspect in last year’s defeated coup attempt, according to judicial sources.

The fourth criminal court in the capital Ankara on Tuesday asked the Justice Ministry to file an extradition request for Adil Oksuz, an alleged key coup plotter said to have applied for asylum in Germany, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Oksuz, charged by Turkish authorities with being an influential figure within what Ankara calls the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO). 

Fetullah Gulen and his network is held responsible for last year’s deadly coup attempt, and Oksuz is said to be among the masterminds of the failed putsch.

He was arrested in Turkey on the morning of July 16 but was subsequently released and has since been on the run.

The coup attempt left behind 250 killed and more than 2,200 people injured. Gulen who has been living in a self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999 denies involvement.

Turkish media claimed Oksuz had been seen in the German cities of Frankfurt and Ulm this February.

Yeni Safak daily also reported last week that Oksuz had applied for asylum in the southern German state of Baden-Wurttemberg.

Ankara has informed German authorities that Oksuz is one of the prime suspects in the defeated coup attempt and an international fugitive.

The Turkish side has pressed German authorities to investigate the claims made in recent media reports and, if these prove true, take necessary measures to arrest Oksuz and send him to Turkey for trial.

German Foreign Ministry sources have said they have no indication that Oksuz was in Germany.