The U.S. is not convinced by claims that Pennsylvania-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen is responsible for a recent attempted army coup in Turkey and is unlikely to extradite him, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Officials do not believe evidence provided by Turkey of Gülen’s involvement in staging the coup is sufficiently damning, and concerns have been raised about statements made by Turkish leaders and the country’s post-coup backlash, the paper reports, citing anonymous sources familiar with the U.S. deliberations.
Gülen, a one-time ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is in self-exile in Pennsylvania. The cleric has denied he was the mastermind behind the Turkish army’s attempt to seize power, and claims the coup was staged by Erdoğan and the government as a prelude to a massive crackdown on dissent.
Last month, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States was willing to consider the extradition, but warned that it has “very strict standards in order to protect people’s rights” and the request would have to go through the normal legal process.
The U.S. State Department is not yet “aware of” whether a decision on Gülen’s extradition has been made, spokesperson Mark Toner told POLITICO.
According to the Justice Department, the Turkish justice ministry “has provided materials relating to Mr. Gülen, and we have begun analyzing these materials.”
The Wall Street Journal reports that Turkey has yet to make an official extradition request. Talks are expected to continue for several months.
This article was updated with additional information.