Turkish prosecutors have issued detention warrants for 18 individuals in the western province of İzmir on allegations of being followers of the Gülen movement, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
The Turkish government accuses the Gülen movement of masterminding a failed coup 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 individuals facing detention warrants include active duty police officers as well as officers who were removed from their jobs by the government in the aftermath of the failed coup.
Following the coup attempt, the Turkish government launched a massive crackdown on followers of the movement under the pretext of an anti-coup fight as a result of which more than 130,000 people were removed from state jobs while in excess of 30,000 others were jailed, and nearly 600,000 people have been investigated on allegations of terrorism.