Turkey accused the US of becoming a 'safe harbor' for members of the Islamic preacher Fetullah Gulen movement, whom Ankara accuses of a coup attempt in 2016 after Washington criticized the verdict for a US consulate in Istanbul, AP reported.

Metin Topuz, a translator and assistant to the US Drug Enforcement Agency in Istanbul, was sentenced to eight years and nine months in prison on charges of assisting the Gulen movement.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized the verdict. “US officials observed every hearing in the trial of Mr Topuz in Istanbul, and we have seen no credible evidence to support this decision. As a result, this conviction undermines confidence in Turkey''s institutions and the critical trust at the foundation of Turkish-American relations.”

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said other people with ties to Gulen had “infiltrated” US missions in Turkey, and accused US authorities of ignoring requests for extradition of persons linked with Gulen. “We are concerned that the United States has become a safe harbour for members of (Gulen''s) terrorist organisation,” Aksoy said in a written statement.

Aksoy also called on the US to respect the “judicial independence” of Turkey's courts and to refrain from attempts “to influence the judiciary.”