Gülen receives bill for damage to Turkish Parliament during coup attempt

ANKARA

An Ankara court has served a notice of debt amounting to 19 million Turkish Liras to U.S.-based Fethullah Gülen upon a complaint from the Turkish Parliament, which is suing Gülen for damage to parliament on the night of the July 2016 military coup attempt. 

The Ankara 6th Civil Court of First Instance sent the bill to the known address of Gülen in Pennsylvania, in order to commence the suit for a debt which parliament issued about damages caused by clashes and bombings on the night of July 15, 2016. 

Parliament has sued a total of 124 people including Gülen, Adil Öksüz, who is believed to be the civilian leader of the movement linked to Gülen, the pilots who bombed the parliament building and presidential complex on the night of the coup, and the generals accused of plotting the coup, over damage to the parliament building calculated at being worth 19.4 million liras. 

The Ankara court commenced the process by sending notices to the interested parties. Because Gülen is known to be living in Pennsylvania, it sent the notice through the Justice Ministry, the Foreign Ministry and the Turkish Embassy in the U.S. 

In order for the court case to begin, all notices must be served to the accused parties, who have a week to object to the debt notice.

Separately, Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül said on Nov. 23 that Turkey has sent to the U.S. authorities a total of seven extradition demands and one temporary arrest warrant for Gülen.

Gül said the most recent extradition demand for Gülen was issued to the U.S. on Nov. 3.

“Our demand, expectation and insistence for Gülen to be handed to the independent and impartial judiciary are continuing. It is the right of the Turkish public to expect this, both in line with international conventions and bilateral agreements. When necessary steps are not taken in this regard it means the protection of the guilty,” he added.