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ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey's justice minister says the country has provided "more than sufficient" evidence to the United States for the extradition of a U.S.-based Muslim cleric accused by Turkey of orchestrating the July 15 failed coup attempt.
Bekir Bozdag was speaking to reporters Tuesday before departing to the U.S. for talks with U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch over Turkish requests for Fethullah Gulen's arrest and eventual extradition.
Bozdag said it was "unacceptable" that Gulen was allowed to continue to lead his organization from a country considered to be "a friend and ally" of Turkey.
He said any delays in the extradition process would threaten ties between the countries.
The minister said: "Fethullah Gulen is to Turkey what Osama bin Laden was to the United States."
Gulen denies involvement in the coup attempt.
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