Turkish surgeon Jusuf Sonmez, suspected of participating in the illegal trade and transplantation of human organs in Kosovo, has been temporarily released pending trial, the AP reports.

Sonmez is among 9 people under investigation conducted in Pristina over illegal trade in human organs following surgeries in the Medicus Clinic.

Turkey does not extradite its citizens abroad, but relays testimony of its citizens to other countries when deemed necessary. If convicted, Sonmez would serve his term in Turkey.

EULEX Kosovo has confirmed that Turkish surgeon Yusuf Sonmez was arrested, but it still remains unclear whether he will be extradited to Pristina District Court over charges of carrying out organ transplant operations in a private medical clinic in that city. Dr. Sonmez, who was arrested in Istanbul on Tuesday, denied charges of illegally performing human organ transplants.

Kristina Herodes, spokeswoman for European Union police in Kosovo, welcomed Sonmez's (53) arrest and said it was carried out based on the Pristina warrant, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.

She said it was too early to comment on whether the Turkish doctor would be extradited to Pristina District Court, which launched an investigation into allegations of illegal human organ harvesting and transplantations in the Pristina-based private clinic Medicus.

It is suspected that poor people from Moldova, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkey were promised up to EUR 14,500 for their organs, but were, however, never paid.

The organs went to people from Western countries who paid between EUR 80,000 and 100,000 for them. Herodes said the EU prosecutor in charge of the case, Jonathan Ratel, had described Sonmez as a "key surgical participant" in operations performed in the private clinic on the outskirts of Pristina.

Allegations of illegal operations in the Medicus clinic were also noted in the report by Council of Europe (CoE) Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Dick Marty which should be discussed at a meeting of the CoE Parliamentary Assembly in late January.