The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday issued detention warrants for 82 active duty soldiers as part of a large number of investigations being conducted into real and perceived followers of the Gülen movement.
According to a statement released by the prosecutor’s office, the warrants were issued for servicemen who are accused of having communicated with “imams” of the movement on public pay phones.
Turkish authorities believe Gülen followers in the military and public agencies use pay phones as a means of communication among themselves, fearing that their mobile phones could be tapped.
Turkey accuses Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen of orchestrating a failed coup on July 15, 2016, although he strongly denies any involvement.
Since the abortive putsch, the Turkish government has conducted a massive witch-hunt targeting the military, bureaucrats, academics and teachers on coup allegations.