Turkey Orders Detention of 51 Accused of Gulen Links
ANKARA (Dispatches) – Turkish police on Saturday started an operation in several provinces to detain 51 people sought over alleged links to a group accused of orchestrating the 2016 coup attempt, state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
A total of 26 of the 51 suspects accused of membership in the movement have been taken into police custody in operations held in Istanbul, Adiyaman, Ankara, Izmir, Kocaeli, Manisa and Van provinces, Anadolu said.
The suspects, including military personnel, lawyers, and police officers, allegedly contacted the network headed by the U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen via various means, according to Hurriyet.
The Turkish government blames Gulen and his network for masterminding the coup bid in July 2016, in which 250 people were killed, and has been pushing for his extradition from the U.S. Ankara maintains the Gulen movement was behind the failed putsch and a long-running scheme to overthrow Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan by infiltrating Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary. The movement’s U.S.-based leader, preacher Fethullah Gulen, denies any involvement in the coup attempt.
Ankara began sweeping purges of people it accused of having links to the movement after surviving the July 2016 coup attempt.
Police are continuing to search the remaining suspects’ homes, Anadolu said.
A total of 26 of the 51 suspects accused of membership in the movement have been taken into police custody in operations held in Istanbul, Adiyaman, Ankara, Izmir, Kocaeli, Manisa and Van provinces, Anadolu said.
The suspects, including military personnel, lawyers, and police officers, allegedly contacted the network headed by the U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen via various means, according to Hurriyet.
The Turkish government blames Gulen and his network for masterminding the coup bid in July 2016, in which 250 people were killed, and has been pushing for his extradition from the U.S. Ankara maintains the Gulen movement was behind the failed putsch and a long-running scheme to overthrow Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan by infiltrating Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary. The movement’s U.S.-based leader, preacher Fethullah Gulen, denies any involvement in the coup attempt.
Ankara began sweeping purges of people it accused of having links to the movement after surviving the July 2016 coup attempt.
Police are continuing to search the remaining suspects’ homes, Anadolu said.