A spokesperson for German Interior Minister Thomas de Maziere has said they have received from Ankara another list of people and companies allegedly affiliated with the faith-based Gülen movement, Deutsche Welle reported on Tuesday.
The report said German authorities warned people on the list provided by Turkey but did not employ any pressure on them. A similar list was previously given to the German government by Turkey in April, and German authorities had informed the relevant states and police units.
The Berlin Security Agency has reportedly had a 40-page list containing the names of 72 people and organizations since June 16.
The Interior Ministry spokesperson said they have been investigating whether the people listed are involved in espionage against Turkey, whether the accusations made by Turkey are justified and whether the people, companies and organizations listed pose a potential threat.
According to news published in the German media during the past few months, Turkey has provided a list of more than 300 people, 200 associations, schools and other institutions affiliated with Gülen movement.
Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Undersecretary Hakan Fidan gave a list to Bruno Kahl, chief of the Federal Foreign Intelligence and Security Service (BND), during the Munich Security Conference in February. Kahl reportedly sent the list to the Federal Government, Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Federal Office for Security and police units in the various states.
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 Justice and Development Party (AKP) government along with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pinned the blame on the Gülen movement.
Fethullah Gülen, who inspired the movement, strongly denied having any role in the failed coup and called for an international investigation into it, but President Erdoğan — calling the coup attempt “a gift from God” — and the government initiated a widespread purge aimed at cleansing sympathizers of the movement from within state institutions, dehumanizing its popular figures and putting them in custody.
Turkey has suspended or dismissed more than 138,000 judges, teachers, police officers and civil servants since July 15.