Bulgaria extradites Istanbul bombing suspect to Turkey

A suspect involved in a deadly terrorist attack in Istanbul in November last year was captured in Bulgaria and extradited to Turkey on Tuesday.

Hazni Golge was found at a hotel in Svilengrad, south-central Bulgaria after Turkish intelligence asked their Bulgarian counterparts to locate him, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said. 

"We discussed the issue with Bulgaria. They delivered him (Golge) to us in Edirne at around 6pm. We thank Bulgaria for the cooperation," Turkish state-linked news agency Anadolu reported Soylu as saying.

Golge was deported on Tuesday evening and taken by Turkish authorities to Istanbul, Anadolu said.

Six people were killed and scores more injured when a TNT-laden bomb exploded on Istanbul’s busy Istiklal Avenue on 13 November.

Golge allegedly helped fugitive suspect Bilal Hassan escape the country after the terror bombing, Anadolu said.

Bulgaria charged five people in connection with the bombing in November.