Turkey asks 16 countries to extradite 28 FETÖ suspects

Turkey's Justice Ministry has requested the extradition of 28 Fetüllah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) suspects residing in 16 countries plus FETÖ leader Fetullah Gulen and other senior figures, according to Turkish judicial sources.

FETÖ's U.S.-based ringleader is the mastermind behind the failed 15 July 2016 coup attempt, according to the Turkish government.

The defeated putsch left at least 248 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Since 19 July 2016, Turkey has been officially asking the U.S. to extradite Gulen.

Turkey also wanted the U.S. to extradite Emre Uslu, a Gulenist former police officer and columnist who is charged with espionage, being a member of an armed terrorist organization and of attempting to overthrow the Turkish government.

Although Turkey sent evidence months ago to support Gulen's and Uslu's extradition, Washington says it is still reviewing the documents.

Without sharing the names of the 28 FETÖ suspects, officials from the Justice Ministry's International Law and Foreign Affairs Department told Anadolu Agency they prepared and sent 31 extradition files in total to 16 countries for those individuals since last July.

Turkey wants the extradition of two suspects each from Mozambique, Kazakhstan and Romania.

Ankara also seeks the return of suspects in Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Morocco, South Africa, Netherlands, Kyrgyzstan, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Poland.

- High-profile cases

Last September, Ankara asked the German authorities to find, arrest and hand over two high-profile FETÖ suspects: former prosecutors Zekeriya Oz and Celal Kara who fled Turkey in late 2013.

Oz and Kara played a key role in a controversial anti-corruption probe in late 2013 which targeted senior political figures in Turkey. Later, they were accused of fabricating evidence as part of a plot to overthrow the government.

The two men are thought to still be in Germany.

Ankara has asked also Greece to extradite eight former Turkish soldiers who fled to Greece after the 15 July coup attempt.