US to extradite Turkish author and son to Türkiye over deadly Istanbul hit-and-run
Eylem Tok and her son Timur Cihantimur fleeing to Egypt after a fatal accident, March 2, 2024, (AA Photos)
Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc announced on Tuesday that two suspects who fled to the United States after a fatal traffic accident in Istanbul have been ordered to be extradited to Türkiye.
The Massachusetts District Court has ruled in favor of extraditing Turkish author Eylem Tok and her son, Timur Cihantimur, to Türkiye, Tunc shared on X.
The court’s statement said it had decided to “extradite” Tok and her son Cihantimur “in accordance with the extradition treaty between the United States and Turkey.”
The statement added that Eylem Tok objected to the extradition order and requested her release before the completion of the extradition proceedings.
Minister Tunc said in a post on social media platform X: “The Massachusetts District Court has decided to extradite the suspects Eylem Tok and Timur Cihantimur, who left our country for the United States of America after the judicial investigation launched following the fatal and injury traffic accident in Eyupsultan, Istanbul, and who were arrested and detained in the United States within the scope of our extradition request.”
“We will continue our necessary efforts to ensure the suspects’ extradition from the U.S. so that justice is served,” Tunc added.
Extradition certificate within 7 days
The court document detailed that Tok, whose extradition was requested by Türkiye, went to the scene of the accident involving her son in Istanbul and committed the crimes of “concealing, altering and destroying the evidence of the crime and protecting the criminal”.
In the conclusion of the 50-page document, the court stated that “Tok’s extradition and request for release on bail is rejected.”
Following the ruling against Tok and Cihantimur, the U.S. government will prepare an extradition certificate within 7 days at the latest.
The certificate will then be forwarded to the U.S. State Department, which is expected to make a final decision on the surrender of Tok and her son to the Turkish government, according to court documents.
Mother and son will remain in custody
In the meantime, it was emphasized that Eylem Tok and Timur Cihantimur will remain in custody.
The court also confirmed that the extradition decision was made in accordance with the Extradition and Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Treaty signed between the U.S. and Türkiye on June 7, 1979.
On March 1, 2024, Cihantimur, driving his parents’ SUV without a license, collided with three all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in Istanbul’s Eyupsultan district, injuring five people. One of the victims, Oguz Murat Aci, later died from his injuries.
Cihantimur fled the scene with his mother, prominent author Eylem Tok, shortly after the accident. The pair subsequently fled to Egypt and later made their way to the U.S.
After the Turkish Justice Ministry sent extradition requests to U.S. authorities, Tok and Cihantimur were found and detained 106 days later in Massachusetts.
