A total of 28 health workers were detained as part of an investigation into the Gülen movement, which the government accuses of masterminding the July 15 coup attempt.
Police carried out simultaneous operations in Eskişehir, Bursa, Giresun and Isparta provinces and took 11 doctors, 1 nurses, 1 dentist, 1 x-ray technician, 5 nurses and 9 other health workers into custody. The detainees are accused of having links to the Gulen movement.
Meanwhile, 33 civilians, including businessmen and teachers, were detained as part of ongoing operations throughout Sunday and Saturday targeting the followers of the Gülen movement due to their use of a smart phone application known as ByLock. The operations, which were based in the southeastern province of Siirt, were conducted across 18 provinces.
Turkish authorities believe ByLock is a communication tool between members of the Gülen movement. Tens of thousands of civil servants, police officers and businessmen have either been dismissed or arrested for using ByLock since a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.
The detainees were reportedly dismissed from profession with recent decrees issued by Turkish government in the aftermath of the coup attempt.
Turkey experienced a military coup attempt on July 15 that killed over 240 people. Immediately after the putsch, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government along with President Erdoğan pinned the blame on the Gülen movement despite the lack of any evidence to that effect. The movement has also categorically denied any involvement into coup attempt.
Over 135,000 people, including thousands within the military, have been purged due to their real or alleged connection to the Gülen movement since the coup attempt, according to a statement by the labor minister on Jan. 10. As of Feb. 1, 89,775 people were being held without charge, with an additional 43,885 in pre-trial detention due to their alleged links to the movement. (turkeypurge.com) Feb. 12, 2017
