World Bulletin/News Desk

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will seek the extradition of U.S.-based congregation leader Fethullah Gulen, when he meets U.S. President Barack Obama at the NATO summit on Friday, Turkish media reports said.

Erdogan has called the December probe a "coup attempt" by a "parallel structure.” He claims the Gulen movement has infiltrated the Turkish state and attempted to overthrow the government.

On his plane travelling to Wales for the summit, Erdogan told reporters the "parallel structure", the expression he uses to describe Gulen supporters within the state apparatus, would be among subjects he would discuss with Obama there. Gulen currently lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania.

"Deport him or give him to us," the pro-government Yeni Safak and other newspapers quoted Erdogan as saying of Gulen. "Let him come and live in his own country if he says he hasn't committed a crime."

Erdogan signalled in April that Turkey would ask the United States to extradite Gulen. But he has acknowledged his relations with Obama have soured amid disappointment at a lack of U.S. action over the war in neighbouring Syria.

The two leaders last met face-to-face some 15 months ago but Obama congratulated him by telephone on his victory in the presidential election last month.

Turkey remains a key member of NATO and a strategic ally for Washington in the turbulent Middle East, with common interests including energy security and the fight against militants.