German police looking for Turkish coup suspect

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN

German police are investigating claims a top suspect in last year’s coup attempt in Turkey was hiding in Germany, officials said on Friday.

A senior German official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Anadolu Agency that after a Turkish diplomatic initiative last month, the authorities investigated claims that Adil Oksuz was seen in a number of different cities in Germany.

“So far we have no indications that support the claim that Adil Oksuz might be in Germany. But our authorities continue to investigate these claims,” the official said, adding that the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) was taking steps on this issue.

Turkish diplomatic sources also confirmed that Germany has responded to Turkey’s diplomatic note, and informed Ankara about the outcome of their inquiries so far.

Adil Oksuz, a theology lecturer, is accused of being among the masterminds in the July 15, 2016 coup attempt, which was orchestrated by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

Oksuz, the alleged leader of the FETO network inside the Turkish air forces, was arrested in Ankara on the morning of July 16 but was subsequently released and has since disappeared.

During a regular news conference on Friday, German Interior Ministry spokesman Johannes Dimroth declined to make a comment on recent media reports that claimed Germany has issued an “arrest warrant” on Adil Oksuz.

Turkey’s government delivered several diplomatic notes to the German state in the last couple of months and asked whether claims made in various Turkish newspapers were true.

Ankara demanded the German authorities investigate the claims, and if these are proven to be true, take the necessary measures to arrest Oksuz and send him to Turkey for trial.

FETO was carrying out a long-running campaign to control the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.