The U.S. State Department said information provided by Türkiye regarding the extradition of fugitive writer Eylem Tok, who fled the country with her son after a hit-and-run incident, was sufficient for her extradition.
A letter was sent by the U.S. State Department attorney Tom Heinemann to the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General, saying that there was enough evidence for Tok’s extradition under a bilateral treaty.
"Based on new information informally received from the Government of Turkey, the State Department has determined that both offenses for which Turkey is seeking the extradition of Eylem Tok meet the relevant requirements under the bilateral extradition treaty between the United States and Turkey,” the letter read.
It continued by saying that the the ministry initially considered that only the charge of protection of Tok should be forwarded to the court for consideration, but the new information provided by Türkiye is sufficient for U.S. authorities to refer the offense of destruction, concealment or alteration of evidence to the court for consideration.
“Accordingly, after Turkey formally submits the new information to the Ministry through diplomatic channels as required by the treaty, I anticipate signing a new declaration that makes clear that the Ministry believes that both offenses in Turkey's original request are extraditable offenses under the treaty,” the letter said.
It also noted that the court case would be concluded soon and Tok and her son, Timur Cihantimur, are expected to be extradited to Türkiye.
U.S. authorities detained Tok and her son Cihantimur, who killed one person in a traffic accident in Istanbul back in March, upon the request of Türkiye.
There was an uproar in Türkiye after 17-year-old Timur Cihantumur, who was driving his parents' luxury SUV without a driver's license, crashed into three ATVs near the Eyüpsultan district, injuring five people, one of whom (Oğuz Murat Aci) later succumbed to his injuries.
Cihantimur left the scene after the accident after his mother Tok came to pick him up and they both went to Istanbul Airport around 2 a.m. to fly to Egypt.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued a detention order for Cihantimur and Eylem Tok and requested that the Ministry of Justice issue a Red Notice.
Last month, Interpol approved Türkiye's request to issue a Red Notice for the duo.
Türkiye and the U.S. signed the Extradition and Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters treaty in 1979 to extradite suspects under prosecution or charged with an offense, convicted of an offense, or for the enforcement of a judicially pronounced penalty for an offense committed within the territory of the country making the extradition request.
