Turkish police teams on Monday detained 48 people suspected of links to the Gülen movement, accused by the Turkish government of masterminding a coup attempt in 2016.
According to Turkish media, the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued detention warrants for 70 people — 60 military officers, 45 of them previously dismissed from the service, a doctor, two health technicians and seven civil servants. Police are still searching for 22 of them.
On July 15, 2016 rogue soldiers attempted a takeover that was thwarted by the rest of the armed forces and mobs of civilians, killing 251. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who addressed the nation as the coup was underway, accused the Gülen group of orchestrating it and vowed revenge.
The Turkish government labels the Gülen movement a “terrorist organization,” although the movement strongly denies involvement in the coup attempt or any terrorist activity.
Since the failed coup, more than 130,000 civil servants have been removed from their jobs by the Turkish government, while more than 30,000 people are still in jail due to their alleged links to the Gülen movement.