Turkey detains dozens of soldiers in operation against Gülenists
Turkish police detained dozens of people on Oct. 13 in a search for 167 suspects, many of them active duty soldiers, in an operation against the Gülen movement. Since the abortive putsch of July 15, 2016, some 80,000 people have been held pending trial and about 150,000 civil servants, military personnel and others sacked or suspended.
Duvar English
Turkish police detained dozens of people on Oct. 13 in a search for 167 suspects, many of them active duty soldiers, in an operation against the followers of U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen.
Authorities launched an operation from the coastal province of İzmir in search of 110 suspects, including 16 pilots, colonels, and lieutenant colonels, across 26 provinces. Some 89 suspects were detained.
In a separate operation targeting Gülen's followers, police sought 57 other suspects across 15 provinces and 32 people had been detained.
The Gülen movement, widely believed to have been behind the July 15, 2016 failed coup attempt that left over 250 people killed, is an ally-turned-foe of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). The coup was made possible through years of the group's infiltration into state institutions.
Since the abortive putsch, some 80,000 people have been held pending trial and about 150,000 civil servants, military personnel and others sacked or suspended. More than 20,000 people had been expelled from the Turkish military.