Sixty-five soldiers and police officers were detained in Turkey on Friday morning over suspected links to the late Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen, who is accused of orchestrating the failed coup attempt in 2016.
The official Anadolu Agency reported that 56 active-duty soldiers from the Turkish armed forces were apprehended, while the search continues for seven others.
Meanwhile, Halk TV stated that nine police officers were also detained, “most of them in Istanbul.”
Anadolu added, “In an operation against the FETÖ (the Turkish term for Gülen’s movement, known as ‘Hizmet’) terrorist organization across 36 provinces, concentrated in Istanbul, 56 out of 63 active-duty soldiers who had arrest warrants issued against them were captured.”
Once an ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Gülen has been accused by Turkish authorities of leading a “terrorist” organization; however, Gülen claimed that his movement is a network of charitable organizations and businesses.
Even after his death, Turkey has pledged to pursue his followers worldwide.
