US State Department urges extradition of Turkish mother, son

WASHINGTON

The U.S. State Department has issued an opinion letter to the prosecutor's office regarding the extradition of Eylem Tok, a Turkish writer, and her son, who fled to the U.S. after the latter was involved in a fatal accident in Türkiye.

Citing the bilateral extradition treaty between the two nations, the State Department has requested that Tok and her son, Timur Cihantimur, be extradited to Türkiye, local media has reported.

Tok is accused of smuggling her 17-year-old son to the U.S. after he caused the death of Oğuz Murat Aci in Istanbul while driving without a license.

"The U.S. Department of State has determined, based on new informally received information from the Turkish government, that both offenses relevant to the extradition of Eylem Tok meet the requirements under the bilateral extradition treaty," read the court filing.

The statement further said, in addition to the charge of "protecting the guilty," the charge of "destroying, concealing or tampering with evidence" should also be considered by the court.

New information provided by Türkiye has bolstered its extradition request, according to the text.

In a letter addressed to Kristin Kearney, the prosecutor of a Boston court where Tok is being tried, the ministry said it envisaged signing a new declaration to expedite the process of Ankara's extradition request.

Late on March 1, Oğuz Murat Aci was killed in Istanbul's Eyüpsultan district when Cihantimur, driving a luxury car, crashed into three ATV-type vehicles parked on the side of the road due to a malfunction.

Cihantimur, an unlicensed driver, was subsequently smuggled to Egypt and then to the U.S. by his mother.

The chief public prosecutor's office in Istanbul issued an arrest warrant for Tok on charges of "protecting the criminal" and for Cihantimur on charges of "negligent homicide and injury."

A red notice was also requested against them.

Türkiye had requested the extradition of the mother and son from the U.S. last month. The pair were arrested on June 14.

Media reports say they were apprehended as they were about to visit a private school to enroll Cihantimur. The judge ordered their arrest after the prosecutor stated that Tok and her son were suspected of fleeing.