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Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said Türkiye has secured the extradition of 245 people so far in 2026, including 48 people brought back from 12 countries since July 1.
“Since July 1, we have ensured the extradition of 48 more individuals from 12 countries to our country,” Gurlek said in a statement on X.
“The number of individuals extradited to our country in 2026 has reached 245,” he added.
Gurlek said Türkiye has strengthened national and international cooperation in the fight against crime under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He said extradition processes continue to be monitored closely and without compromise.
“We do not let go of those who think they can escape Turkish justice by committing crimes and fleeing abroad,” Gurlek said.
Gurlek said Türkiye had announced on July 1 that 197 people had been extradited from 31 countries in the first half of 2026.
Since then, 48 more people have been extradited from 12 countries, bringing the total for the year to 245, he said.
Of those extradited in the past 1.5 months, 24 were brought from Georgia, eight from Germany and six from Greece.
He said Türkiye had also achieved important results in its fight against organized crime groups and that progress had been made in cases followed for a long time.
He said F.D., the leader of the Redkits crime group, was extradited to Türkiye on Aug. 13.
Gurlek also said a decision had been issued for the extradition of S.K., a manager of the Camgozler crime group, whose extradition Türkiye requested from Argentina in 2020.
Following a notification from the Turkish Foreign Ministry dated July 28, coordination was carried out with the Interior and Foreign ministries on July 31 to prepare a travel program to bring S.K. to Türkiye.
S.K. was received in Argentina on Aug. 13 and is planned to arrive in Istanbul on Friday night, Gurlek said.
“Let our beloved nation rest assured: No country is a safe haven for criminals,” Gurlek said.
“Wherever they flee, no matter how much time passes, Turkish justice will be after them,” he added.
Gurlek thanked the Interior Ministry and Foreign Ministry for their coordination, as well as the authorities of countries that cooperated with Türkiye in extradition and judicial assistance processes.
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