Extradition lawyer and INTERPOL Red Notices
Extradition requests, Red Notices and diffusions from Turkey: what each one means in the U.S., and what to do first.
If you were arrested, stopped at a border or told about a Red Notice or an extradition request, call now and say it is urgent, before you contact any authority or file anything.
01
Is this the right route?
A Red Notice or a diffusion is an INTERPOL alert. The U.S. Justice Department says a Red Notice alone is not a basis for arrest in the U.S. A formal extradition request from Turkey goes to a federal judge under 18 U.S.C. 3184 and the 1979 treaty, in force since 1 January 1981. A Turkish warrant is what both rest on. INTERPOL's CCF must decide access requests within 4 months and deletion requests within 9 months of admissibility.
Who it's for People named in a Red Notice, a diffusion or an extradition request, especially from Turkey, and their families.
Key requirements
- Red Notice: an INTERPOL alert; the U.S. treats it as a look-out, not an arrest warrant
- Diffusion: sent by one country's police to others; also checked against INTERPOL's rules
- Formal extradition request: State Department, then a hearing before a federal judge
- Turkish warrant (yakalama kararı): valid in Turkey; the basis for a notice or a request
02
How it works
Turkey's embassy sends the request to the State Department. The State Department checks that a treaty is in force, that the offense is covered and that the papers are certified, then passes the request to the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs.
In urgent cases Turkey can ask for provisional arrest first. The full, documented request must then follow within the treaty's deadline.
A federal prosecutor in the district where the person is located files a complaint, and a judge issues an arrest warrant (18 U.S.C. 3184). The person is brought before a magistrate judge or district judge.
The government opposes bond in extradition cases (Justice Manual 9-15.700).
At the extradition hearing the judge decides whether the evidence is sufficient to sustain the charge under the treaty. The Federal Rules of Evidence and of Criminal Procedure do not apply. A person may also waive the process or consent to extradition.
If the judge finds the person extraditable, the judge certifies this to the Secretary of State. The certification cannot be appealed, but a habeas corpus petition under 28 U.S.C. 2241 can be filed as soon as it is issued, and the habeas decision can be appealed.
The Secretary of State decides whether to surrender the person (18 U.S.C. 3186).
If the person is not surrendered within two calendar months after commitment, a judge may order release on the person's application (18 U.S.C. 3188).
Typical times
- Provisional arrest, then the full treaty request30 days to 3 months, depending on the treaty [4]
- Extradition hearing before a federal judge (18 U.S.C. 3184)Varies: the court sets the date, allowing for the treaty's document deadline [4]
- Habeas petition after certificationCan be filed as soon as the certification is issued [4]
- Surrender after commitmentWithin 2 calendar months; after that the person may apply for discharge [7]
- CCF decision on an access request4 months from admissibility [10]
- CCF decision on correction or deletion9 months from admissibility [10]
- CCF notice of a final decisionWithin 1 month; wait at least 3 months after the session before asking [10]
- CCF application for revisionWithin 6 months of discovering a new fact [9]
- CCF sessions in 202628 Jan–10 Feb, 3–16 Jun, 30 Sep–13 Oct [11]
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Extradition and INTERPOL: questions people ask
What does an extradition lawyer do?
An extradition lawyer represents a person facing a foreign request: reviewing the treaty and the warrant, appearing at the hearing before a federal judge under 18 U.S.C. 3184, and filing habeas after certification. After a provisional arrest, the full treaty request is due within 30 days to 3 months, depending on the treaty. An attorney reviews each case.
Is a Red Notice an arrest warrant in the U.S.?
No. The U.S. Justice Department says a foreign Red Notice alone is not a sufficient basis for arrest in the U.S. An extradition arrest here needs a complaint before a U.S. judge under 18 U.S.C. 3184. Other countries may arrest on a Red Notice. Merit Law LLP reviews your papers.
How do I check if there is a Red Notice against me?
Most notices are for police use only, so a public search proves little. You can ask INTERPOL's CCF for access to your data through its online portal. The CCF charges no fee and must decide within 4 months of admissibility. An attorney can help prepare the request.
How long does INTERPOL Red Notice removal take?
The CCF has 9 months from admissibility to decide a request to correct or delete data, as its Statute sets. INTERPOL's General Secretariat then has 1 month to comment. The CCF says workload has caused delays, so the real time can be longer.
Can Turkey extradite me from the U.S.?
Turkey can ask, under the 1979 treaty in force since 1 January 1981. The request goes through the State Department, and a U.S. federal judge must find the evidence sufficient under the treaty (18 U.S.C. 3184). The Secretary of State makes the final surrender decision. An attorney reviews the request.
05
Who handles your case
We work out which of the four you face, check the treaty grounds and the deadlines, and handle the U.S. court and CCF side, with colleagues licensed in Turkey (Istanbul Bar) on the Turkish file.
Nora Busra Turan
Partner · Attorney
Murat Akkoç
Partner · Lawyer, Istanbul Bar (Turkey)
Ali Yıldız
Network counsel · Turkish & European law, INTERPOL matters
Documents to prepare
- The Turkish case papers you have: indictment (iddianame), arrest warrant (yakalama kararı), court decisions and their dates.
- Anything that points to an INTERPOL notice: papers from a border stop, a letter from a foreign authority, a CCF reply.
- Your passport, U.S. visa or green card, I-94, and any pending USCIS or immigration-court papers.
- A short timeline: when the Turkish case started, when you left Turkey, and every border stop since.
- If you say the case is political or a private dispute: news reports, related court decisions and human-rights reports that show it.
- Sworn English translations (yeminli tercüme) of the key Turkish documents.
- If you were arrested in the U.S.: the complaint, the warrant and any court order you received.
Common reasons for refusal or delay
- Traveling abroad before the matter is cleared: many countries arrest on a Red Notice alone.
- Answering calls or emails from people who say they are INTERPOL and ask for money or personal data. INTERPOL and INTERPOL Washington do not contact private citizens for personal information.
- A weak CCF request: the CCF decides on written material only, without hearings, and does not answer requests outside its mandate.
- A revision request with no new fact: the CCF reconsiders a decision only for a newly discovered fact, raised within six months of its discovery.
- Treating a CCF deletion as the end of the matter: the Turkish warrant and any extradition request can remain.
- Overlooking the immigration side: a Red Notice can be used as evidence in an asylum case (Matter of W-E-R-B-).
- CCF delays: the CCF says its workload has caused it to miss some of its deadlines.
When this is not the right route
- A U.S. criminal charge or a U.S. warrant: that is a domestic criminal case, not extradition.
- Removal (deportation) by immigration authorities is a separate process: see ICE detention and habeas and asylum and removal defense.
- Old news articles or search results about the case: see data removal.
- A complaint against Turkey after its courts have ruled: see human rights applications.
Full details
Who this is for
- People who think a Red Notice or a diffusion names them, or who were stopped at an airport or a border because of one.
- People who learn that Turkey or another country has asked the U.S. to extradite them.
- People with a pending asylum, green card or citizenship case who also have a criminal case in Turkey.
- Families of someone arrested on an extradition warrant.
Key requirements
- The U.S. and Turkey are bound by the Treaty on Extradition and Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, signed at Ankara on 7 June 1979 and in force since 1 January 1981 (State Department, Treaties in Force 2025).
- Under U.S. law, a person found in the U.S. is surrendered to a treaty country only after a judge hears the evidence, unless the person waives the process (18 U.S.C. 3184; Justice Manual 9-15.700).
- INTERPOL describes a Red Notice as a request to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition. It is based on a warrant or court order in the requesting country. It is not an arrest warrant, and each country decides what legal value to give it.
- The U.S. Justice Department says a foreign Red Notice alone is not a sufficient basis for arrest in the U.S., because it does not meet Fourth Amendment requirements. The U.S. treats it as a request to be on the look-out and to report where the person is.
- Other countries can act differently. The Justice Manual notes that many countries will arrest a person based solely on a Red Notice.
- A diffusion is circulated directly by one country's National Central Bureau to some or all member countries. Wanted-person (red) diffusions are checked for compliance by INTERPOL's Notices and Diffusions Task Force.
- Red Notices may not be published for offences of a political, military, religious or racial character (Article 3 of INTERPOL's Constitution), or for offences that arise from private disputes or administrative rules (Article 83 of its data rules).
- Since 10:00 CET on 26 March 2026, every request to the CCF must go through its online portal. Email and post are no longer accepted, except in exceptional circumstances.
- The CCF only reviews data in INTERPOL's files. It does not decide national extradition cases, help with immigration matters or say whether you can travel safely.
- In immigration court, a Red Notice may be reliable evidence that the serious nonpolitical crime bar to asylum and withholding of removal applies (Matter of W-E-R-B-, BIA 2020). The Board added that, where the applicant raises it, evidence that the issuing country abuses Red Notices for political reasons should be considered.
What to check with an attorney
- Which of the four exists: a Red Notice, a diffusion, a formal U.S. extradition request or only a Turkish warrant.
- Whether the offense is covered by the 1979 treaty, and whether the Turkish case looks political or like a private dispute.
- Whether to start with a CCF access request or ask for deletion directly, and what to mark confidential in the request.
- How the matter affects a pending asylum, green card or citizenship case.
- Whether you should travel at all before the matter is cleared.
- Who handles which part: U.S.-licensed attorneys for the U.S. court, CCF and immigration side, and lawyers licensed in Turkey (Istanbul Bar) for the Turkish case file.
Sources and review date
Fees and rules reviewed 16 Oct 2026. Sources below.
Official sources:
- INTERPOL: Red Notices
- INTERPOL: About Notices (diffusions)
- U.S. Justice Department, INTERPOL Washington: FAQ (archived page)
- Justice Manual 9-15.000: International extradition
- 18 U.S.C. 3184
- 18 U.S.C. 3186
- 18 U.S.C. 3188
- State Department: Treaties in Force 2025 (Türkiye, law enforcement)
- INTERPOL CCF: How to submit a request
- INTERPOL CCF: Frequently asked questions
- INTERPOL CCF: Sessions and decisions
- BIA: Matter of W-E-R-B-, 27 I&N Dec. 795 (2020)
- 28 U.S.C. 1914 (court filing fees)
- 28 U.S.C. 2241 (habeas corpus)
What changed: added the four-way sorter, the U.S. court steps, the CCF portal and time limits, and the immigration section.
Named in a Red Notice or an extradition request?
Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., office local time. We reply in English, Turkish and Chinese.