Turkey formally requests US to arrest Gulen over coup plot

Turkey has made a formal request to the United States for the arrest of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen on charges of orchestrating an attempted military coup on July 15, which resulted in the deaths of over 270 people.

Ankara has on several occasions asked the US authorities to extradite Gulen, sending them documents which show evidence of his involvement in the putsch. But this is the first time Turkey has formally asked Washington to arrest Gulen, who currently lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, on charges of "ordering and commadning" the failed coup.

According to Anadolu Agency, the request was made through Turkey's Justice Ministry.

"This person who ordered the July 15, 2016 bloody coup and committed many other crimes has been sought for arrest", the official request said.

It also included Ankara chief prosecutor's warrant for Gulen's arrest.

Turkish officials last month submitted a formal request for the extradition of Gulen, who is also accused of leading a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

When US Vice President Joe Biden visited Ankara several weeks later, he said he understood the "intense feeling" in Turkey over Gulen.

The US has "no, no, no, no interest whatsoever in protecting anyone who has done harm to an ally. None," he said.

"But we need to meet the legal standard requirement under our law," he added.