World Bulletin / News Desk

The US Central Intelligence Agency has kidnapped Osama bin Laden's son-in-law, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, who was captured in Ankara last month, after Ankara deported him for Kuwait.

Abu Ghaith was captured in a joint operation carried out by Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MİT) and the CIA last week.

Although the US asked Turkey to extradite Abu Ghaith, Ankara moved to deport him instead. Because there is no international search warrant out for the arrest of Abu Ghaith, Ankara would not be able to extradite him to the US under national or international law.

A Turkish court had issued a deportation order because Abu Ghaith used a forged passport to enter Turkey from Iran. He was held at an undisclosed location due to security concerns. Under normal circumstances, foreigners in such a situation are held at a detention facility at the police department's Foreign National Department.

Abu Ghaith is stateless as Kuwait has stripped him of his citizenship.

There have been reports that the issue of bin Laden's son-in-law has caused some diplomatic friction between Washington and Ankara but that the matter was resolved after Turkey decided to extradite him to Kuwait. The reports say Jordan agreed when Ankara asked Amman if it would allow Abu Ghaith to pass through the country's territory on the way to Kuwait. It is unclear whether Jordan was acting to facilitate the extradition.

Sources said Abu Ghaith was extradited for Kuwait on March 1, the day when US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Turkey for recent talks.

But while en route to Kuwait, the CIA kidnapped Abu Ghaith and took him to the US, Turkey's Hürriyet daily reported on Monday.

Other sources claimed that Turkey sent Abu Ghaith to Jordan because Kuwait rejected Ankara's request for deportation.