The İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has issued detention warrants for 44 people including 33 lawyers as part of an investigation into İzmir bar associations due to alleged links to the Gülen movement, accused of orchestrating a coup attempt in July 2016.
According to a Cumhuriyet daily report on Friday, Turkish anti-terror police detained 26 people, some of whom were accused of using a smart phone application called ByLock.
Turkish authorities believe ByLock is a communication tool among followers of the faith-based Gülen movement.
The Turkish government started a crackdown on the opposition in the wake of a botched coup attempt on July 15, 2016 and arrested more than 50,000 and dismissed or suspended around 150,000 judges, teachers, police and civil servants.
Tens of thousands of people have either been dismissed or arrested for using ByLock since the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.
A total of 524 lawyers have been arrested and 1,342 are under prosecution since the coup.