ANKARA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Turkey has formally asked Berlin to investigate if a prime suspect of Turkey's failed coup has escaped to Germany, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Wednesday, local media reported.
"We sent a diplomatic note to Germany after the news regarding the presence in Germany of the FETO suspect Adil Oksuz, who is currently at large," Cavusoglu said, referring to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).
Some news reports suggested that Oksuz, one of the chief plotters of the failed coup attempt, is hiding in Germany, said Cavusoglu, according to TRTWorld news website.
Turkey has asked Germany for "investigation of the accuracy of the news reports, detention and extradition of the suspected plotter if the reports are accurate," said a Turkish foreign ministry official.
Oksuz, who is referred to as "Imam of the Air Force" by the Turkish government, was briefly taken into custody at Akincilar Air Base in Ankara on the night of the July 15 coup attempt, but was released and has been on the run.
The bilateral ties between Turkey and Germany, two NATO members, began to sour after the failed coup attempt, as Turkey accuses Germany of acting as a safe haven to the coup suspects.
Gulen is a U.S.-based Turkish cleric, who is accused by Ankara of masterminding the failed coup. Turkey says it's Gulen's followers in the military who attempted the coup.
