G?len Supporter Sought by Turkey 'Left Bulgaria'

Abdullah B?y?k, a Turkish businessman whose extradition Turkey demanded in March, does not reside in Bulgaria as of August 01, Monday, daily newspaper 24 Chasa says, citing its own sources.

B?y?k came under the spotlight after Turkey's Foreign Minister said his country intended to ask for the extradition of a man supposedly affiliated to the movement of US-based cleric Fethullah G?len, designated by Ankara as a terrorist organization and as the driving force behind the coup.

There has been no official confirmation whether B?y?k is the man, unofficially known as "Abdullah", that Turkey's top diplomat was referring to.

B?y?k, whom a Bulgarian court refused to extradite in March, also demanded political asylum in the country, but his request was later turned down, according to 24 Chasa.

The information has not been confirmed.

According to private national bTV station, Ankara has issued a total of two requests for B?yuk to be sent back, the last one being decline on March 28.

BGNES wire service quotes the Bulgarian prosecuting authority as saying the request, motivated by an investigation into B?y?k's alleged affiliation to terrorist groups, had been turned down as the court had seen it as "political".

Turkey demanded that the case be reviewed following the failed coup attempt in July, but its demand is "unacceptable", according to the prosecution.

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