An Adana judge who arrested 10 high-ranking military officers including Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base commander, Gen. Bekir Ercan Van, on coup charges, has been jailed for using the ByLock mobile application.
Turkish prosecutors claim that ByLock is the top communication tool among members of the Gülen movement, which the government accuses of masterminding a July 15 coup attempt. Critics often lambaste the government for imprisoning thousands of people merely for using the app.
Fatih K., a Penal Court of Peace judge who ruled for the arrest of 10 military officers including Van over alleged ties to the Gülen movement just two days after the coup attempt, was also arrested for the use of ByLock, according to the Birgün daily.
Turkey survived a military coup attempt on July 15 that killed over 240 people and wounded more than a thousand others. Immediately after the putsch, the government along with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pinned the blame on the Gülen movement. The movement strongly denies any involvement in the coup attempt.