Turkey, US justice ministers speak on phone ahead of PM’s key meet

ANKARA

Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül and United States Attorney General Jeff Session spoke on the phone late Nov. 7, ahead of Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım’s scheduled meeting with Vice President Mike Pence on Nov. 9 in Washington D.C.

The phone conversation took place upon the request of the U.S. Attorney General, state-run Anadolu Agency reported. It gave no detail on the content.

Turkey has long been pressing the U.S. for the extradition of Fethullah Gülen, the designated leader of the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETÖ) blamed for last year’s bloody coup attempt. So far, Turkey’s appeals for Gülen’s extradition have not received a response. Gül told the media earlier that a new appeal on the basis of new evidence over Gülen’s involvement in the coup attempt would be made to U.S. institutions.

Recently, the relationship between the two countries soured further after Turkey arrested a local staff member at the U.S. Consulate-General in Istanbul on terror charges, sparking a visa crisis between the two, as Washington decided to suspend visa applications from Turkey. The measure was eased on Nov. 6 after the U.S. claimed it had received assurances that no additional local consulate staff would be arrested. Turkey denied it had delivered assurances on judicial matters.