Turkey Detains More Than 1,000 People for Suspected Links to Gulen
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Turkish authorities last week detained 1,682 people over suspected links to militants and arrested 516, the interior ministry said, with more than 1,000 of those detained suspected of having links to exiled US-based businessman Fethullah Gulen.
Ankara says Fethullah Gulen orchestrated an attempted coup in July, with 1,096 of his suspected supporters detained and 426 of those subsequently arrested.
Another 508 people were detained for suspected links to Kurdish militants and 78 of those were arrested, the ministry said. Authorities detained 78 people for alleged links to the Daesh (also ISIL) terrorist group and arrested 12, it added.
Turkey declared a state of emergency soon after a failed coup in July, detaining thousands of citizens and purging tens of thousands of public servants over alleged ties to outlawed groups as well as to Gulen, France 24 reported.
Some 110,000 people have been sacked or suspended in the civil service, army and judiciary and 36,000 people jailed pending trial in the investigation of the failed putsch, in which over 240 people were killed. Gulen has denied involvement in the coup.
Western governments, human rights group and legal experts have repeatedly expressed concern over the crackdown, which some say has begun targeting political opponents and critics. Ankara defends its actions saying they are necessary precautions in the face of ongoing nationwide terrorism.
This year Turkey has seen a series of attacks and bombings in major cities that were the work of either Daesh or Kurdish militants.
Turkey frequently restricts access to social media websites to prevent the spread of graphic images and other material that authorities say would harm public order or security.
