73 Turks, including soldiers, arrested over alleged Gülen links

Turkish authorities have issued an arrest warrant for 73 people, including military personnel, accused of belonging to the Fethullah Gülen group, which is classified as a local terrorist organization.

The arrest was made by a decision issued by the Istanbul Prosecutor General’s Office, and included 24 other states, including Ankara.

In the indictment, the Turkish prosecution said that the detainees, including six active soldiers and 53 students who were bound by a number of closed military colleges, had made contacts with Gülen officials through the army’s public phones.

The Turkish authorities consider that the contact or receipt of a call by public phone during the period leading up to the 2016 coup attempt is evidence of that person’s Gülen affiliation.
During a raid on the suspects’ addresses, 57 individuals were arrested, and security forces are continuing their efforts to arrest the rest.

After their arrest, these individuals were transferred to the security directorates in accordance with their respective mandates, pending legal action against them.

Ankara accuses the “terrorist” group of Fethullah Gülen, a preacher, of masterminding the July 2016 coup attempt.
That is why the Turkish authorities have been pursuing the group’s members, both at home and abroad.