Turkish prosecutors have issued detention warrants for 52 people on the grounds that they had links to Adil Öksüz, a prime suspect in the investigation into a coup attempt in Turkey in July 2016, Turkish media outlets reported on Friday.
Twenty detention warrants were served in simultaneous operations across 11 Turkish provinces on Friday. The suspects in the investigation, which is being conducted by the İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, are accused of membership in a secret group linked to the Gülen movement that was in contact with allegedly Gülen-affiliated officers at Turkey’s Air Forces Command.
Öksüz is accused of heading of the Gülen movement’s alleged network within the air forces. He was briefly detained after the coup attempt and is still at large.
The Turkish government accuses the Gülen movement of masterminding the coup attempt on July 15, 2016 and labels it a “terrorist organization,” although the movement strongly denies involvement in the coup attempt or any terrorist activity.
The detainees are accused of membership in a terrorist organization.