Turkish extradition requests often disregarded by Western allies
Ankara has long viewed foreign courts’ refusal to repatriate suspects as a sign of obstruction by their governments, but the West looks askance at the Turkish judicial system.
ISTANBUL — A wanted Turkish businessman will be delivered to the US on Friday, extradited from Austria despite a separate extradition request from Ankara.
Sezgin Baran Korkmaz, who is wanted in both Turkey and the US over allegations of laundering $133 million and wire fraud, was arrested in Austria in June last year. He has denied the accusations.
Turkey’s extradition demands are increasingly under the spotlight after the repatriation of suspects from Finland and Sweden became a key issue in their bids for NATO membership.
As the CEO of SBK Holding, Korkmaz was said to be close to senior figures in the Turkish government. Following his arrest, it was revealed that Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu used a private plane owned by the businessman during a 2017 referendum campaign.
