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Detention warrants issued for 361 more people over Gülen links

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The Istanbul, Konya, Mersin and Malatya chief prosecutor’s offices on Tuesday issued detention warrants for a total of 361 people including 170 retired, purged and active duty military personnel over alleged links to the faith-based Gülen movement, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

According to the report, 158 of the 361 suspects being sought have been detained thus far in operations across Turkey.

Turkish police detained a total of 2,426 people over alleged links to the movement in the first month of 2018.

The Gülen movement is accused by the Turkish government of masterminding a coup attempt on July 15, 2016. The movement strongly denies any involvement.

A total of 62,895 people were detained in 2017 as part of investigations into the movement, according to Interior Ministry reports.

Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu on Jan. 5 said 48,305 people were jailed in 2017 alone over Gülen movement links.

Soylu said on Dec. 12 that 55,665 people have been jailed and 234,419 passports have been revoked as part of investigations into the movement since the failed coup.

Soylu on Nov. 16 had said eight holdings and 1,020 companies were seized as part of operations against the movement.

The Justice Ministry announced on July 13 that 169,013 people have been the subject of legal proceedings on coup charges since the failed coup.

Turkey has suspended or dismissed more than 150,000 judges, teachers, police and other civil servants since July 15, 2016 through government decrees issued as part of an ongoing state of emergency declared after the coup attempt.

According to Ministry of Justice data, there are currently 384 prisons with a capacity of 207,279 in Turkey; however, the total number of inmates was 228,983 as of October 2017.

The Ministry of Justice plans to build 228 new prisons with a capacity of 137,687 in the next five years.

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