FBI raids home, café of Turkish-origin man with suspected links to Gülen

NEW YORK – Anadolu Agency

FBI inspectors in the Brooklyn borough of New York carried out a raid on the house and café of a Turkish-origin man thought to be linked to the movement of Pennsylvania-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, whose extradition Turkey has demanded.

Selahattin Karakuş’s Masal Café and his home were raided by FBI inspectors, who reportedly seized documents and computers. The FBI did not disclose any details about the probe. 

Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported that Karakuş has shared speeches given by Gülen on his private social media accounts and his café is believed be used by prominent Gülenists during visits to the city. 

The raids on Akkuş’s properties came at a time when the Turkish authorities have stepped up their bid to pressure the U.S. authorities to extradite Gülen, believed to be the main actor behind Turkey’s failed July 15 coup attempt.

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ last week visited his American counterpart, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, to again express Turkey’s expectation from its NATO ally to hand over Gülen, an ally turned nemesis of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

The Ankara government made its first extradition request last July for Gülen, submitting more than 19 dossiers of documents purporting to show evidence of Gülen’s illegal activities in Turkey.