Fugitive Iraqi Vice President Arrives In Turkey

Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi is accused of running death squads.

Iraq's fugitive vice president, Tariq al-Hashemi, has arrived in Turkey, according to local news reports.

Hashemi arrived in Istanbul late on April 9 after visiting Qatar and Saudi Arabia, according to hurriyetdailynews.com.

Hashemi, Iraq's top Sunni politician, is sought by the Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad over allegations that he ran death squads against Shi'ite pilgrims, government officials, and security forces.

The government issued a warrant for his arrest in December, touching off a political crisis and deepening the sectarian divide just days after the U.S. troops withdrawal.

Hashemi, who rejects the charges as politically motivated, fled to Iraq's semiautonomous Kurdish region.

There were no immediate details on his schedule in Turkey.

Based on reporting by AP