U.S. authorities detained fugitive writer Eylem Tok, who fled to the U.S. via Egypt with her underage son, Timur Cihantimur, who killed one person in a traffic accident in Istanbul back in March, upon the request of Türkiye, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç said Friday.
In a statement posted on his social media account, Tunç said the U.S. Justice Department had informed Türkiye that both suspects were detained under the scope of the extradition treaty between the two countries.
"As the Justice Ministry, we are closely following the process," Tunç said.
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.
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.
