Turkey detains nearly 200 over Gulen links
Turkish police on Tuesday detained
181 people suspected of ties to a group blamed for a 2016 coup attempt, the
Ankara public prosecutor’s office said.
The detentions came after the
capital’s public prosecutor issued arrest warrants for 260 suspects accused of
using the encrypted ByLock messaging application which authorities believe was
used to coordinate the coup bid.
Another 18 suspects, including 10 doctors,
were sought in a second probe.
Officers have so far detained 171
people in Ankara and another 10 suspects elsewhere, the office said without
giving details.
Tens of thousands have been arrested
over alleged ties to US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen who Ankara says
ordered the failed coup. Gulen denies this.
Since the failed overthrow of
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, authorities have also sacked or suspended over
140,000 public sector workers over suspected links to Gulen.
