Tens of people have been detained or arrested by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government across Turkey in a witch hunt campaign targeting Gülen movement. Turkish gendarmerie rounded up 20 people in Turkey’s border province of Edirne as they were attempting to flee to Greece while a detention warrant issued for 177 dismissed and active police officers as part of a witch hunt campaign against Gülen movement.
Gendarmerie rounded up 20 people as they were attempting to escape Turkey’s witch-hunt by fleeing to Greece on Thursday. The detainees were among hundreds of thousands of people who were dismissed as part of Turkey’s sweeping post-coup witch hunt. Fourteen of the detainees were immediately arrested.
Thousands of people have fled Turkey due to the purge launched by AKP government against sympathizers of the Gülen movement in the wake of a failed coup attempt on July 15. The government accuses the movement of masterminding the coup while the latter categorically denies involvement.
Meanwhile, detention warrants were issued for 177 former and on-duty police officers as part of an investigation into the Gülen movement.
Also, Fethullah Gülen’s nephew, identified only by initials M.A.S., were arrested on Feb. 2.M.A.S. was detained along with 3 others on Jan. 6. While all four were arrested on Wednesday, M.A.S has joined Gülen’s many other relatives previously arrested as part of witch hunt into the movement.
According to information given by government sources some other detention and arrest cases on Feb. 2, 2017 which were targeting Gülen movement as follow:
SİNOP: Sinop-based operation saw arrests in seven provinces to detain 40 people over alleged links with the Gülen movement. 28 of these people were arrested.
KAHRAMANMARAŞ: 10 former police officers were arrested in Kahramanmaras,
İZMİR: Twenty-two people were arrested in western Turkey’s coastal city of Izmir. However, five were later released under judicial restrictions.
SİİRT: 28 people were arrested in Turkey’s southeastern city of Siirt,
BURDUR: Fourteen women were arrested in a Burdur-based operation.
TRABZON: Police detained a judge in Trabzon.
KAYSERİ: Three people were detained in Kayseri.
ESKİŞEHİR: One person was arrested in Eskisehir.
ANKARA: One police officer was arrested in Ankara.
SİVAS: Eight people were arrested in a Sivas-based operation across 16 provinces.
BARTIN: Police detained 14 people in Bartın.
TUNCELİ: Four former military personnel and one police officer were taken into custody in Turkey’s eastern city of Tunceli,
SAKARYA: Eight people were remanded in Sakarya.
So far, over 124,000 people have lost their jobs, 90,000 detained and some 44,000 arrested in Turkey since the coup attempt. Arrestees include journalists, judges, prosecutors, police and military officers, academics, governors and even a comedian.
