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Turkey orders detention of 174 more Gülen followers in post-coup crackdown

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The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on Friday issued detention warrants for 174 suspects in two separate investigations into the faith-based Gülen movement, part of a large-scale crackdown targeting its followers after a 2016 failed coup, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

In one investigation, 121 suspects are accused of rigging a 2011 examination to qualify for civil servant positions, as the prosecutors alleged that the suspects had stolen the exam questions and handed them over to Gülen followers.

The police raided apartments in 29 provinces and detained at least 45 suspects, the report said.

In a second investigation 53 former noncommissioned officers are charged with membership in the Gülen movement.

Turkey accuses the Gülen movement of orchestrating the abortive putsch, although it strongly denies any involvement.

Following the coup attempt, more than 130,000 people were removed from state jobs, while in excess of 30,000 others are still jailed and some 600,000 people have been investigated on allegations of terrorism due to alleged Gülen links.

Since then, mass detentions have resumed on an almost daily basis.

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