Turkish naval officer serving in US requests political asylum

Turkish Navy Rear Adm. Mustafa Ugurlu, an officer serving on behalf of NATO at a US military base in Norfolk, Virginia, has requested political asylum in the US. An arrest warrant has been issued in Turkey for Urgulu. The Turkish embassy in Washington has announced that Ugurlu did not report for questioning as requested. The asylum request is expected to strain relations between Washington and Ankara even further following Turkey's demand for the extradition of opposition leader Fethullah Gulen, who is in exile in the US.