Turkey will not extradite Iraq's fugitive Vice President Tareq Al-Hashemi, who is being tried in absentia in Baghdad accused of running a death squad, a senior official was quoted as saying on Wednesday.
"We will not extradite someone whom we have supported since the very beginning," deputy prime minister Bekir Bozdag was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency.
His comments came a day after Interpol issued an international Red Notice for the arrest of Hashemi, one of Iraq's top Sunni Arab officials, on suspicion of "guiding and financing terrorist attacks".
"(Hashemi) is currently in Turkey for health reasons," Bozdag said.
Hashemi, who has been staying in Istanbul since 9 April, insisted in a statement posted on his website Tuesday he was not above the law and was ready to appear in court if his security and a fair trial could be guaranteed.
Last week, Hashemi's trial was delayed to 10 May after his lawyers called for the case to be heard in a special court.
Hashemi and his bodyguards face around 150 charges, including the killing of six judges and other senior officials, according to an Iraqi judicial spokesman. He has challenged the legitimacy of the trial and said his life is at risk in Baghdad.
Interpol said the red notice, its highest possible alert, was issued following an Iraqi warrant made "as part of an investigation in which security forces seized bombing materials and arrested individuals".
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