Turkish lawmakers visit US after failed coup

By Esra Kaymak Avci

WASHINGTON (AA) – A group of Turkish lawmakers on Monday began a eight-day visit to the U.S. to deliver briefings regarding the FETO-led failed coup attempt last month.

The team will meet with senior U.S. officials and it is expected that Turkey's extradition request for the coup plot's mastermind, Fetullah Terror Organization's (FETO) leader Fetullah Gulen, will be high on the agenda.

The group on Monday visited the Turkish embassy in Washington DC, where they were briefed on the latest developments between the two countries following the overthrow attempt. They also met with Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division Leslie Caldwell.

A joint group from the Justice and State departments is currently analyzing the extradition request.

The Turkish lawmakers will later Monday meet with the foreign press and visit the Foundation for Political Economic and Social Research (SETA) think tank.

On Tuesday, they will meet with Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and will separately meet representatives of the Atlantic Council and Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tanks.

During the U.S. visit, the group will also make a trip to New York.

The visiting team consists of the head of the Turkish Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee and the Justice and Development (AK) Party's Malatya lawmaker Taha Ozhan, Kahramanmaras lawmaker Mahir Unal, the Republican People's Party (CHP) Istanbul lawmaker Oguz Kaan Salici and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Erzurum lawmaker Kamil Aydin.