Ankara prosecutors have ordered the detention of 12 people previously expelled from the military as well as one civilian due to their alleged links to the Gülen movement, a faith-based group accused by the government of “terrorist” activities, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Tuesday.
The detention warrants were issued as part of an investigation into an alleged Gülen-linked network within the Land Forces Command, the report said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been targeting followers of the Gülen movement, inspired by Turkish Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen, since the corruption investigations of December 17-25, 2013, which implicated then-prime minister Erdoğan, his family members and his inner circle.
Dismissing the investigations as a Gülenist coup and conspiracy against his government, Erdoğan designated the movement as a terrorist organization and began to target its members. He intensified the crackdown on the movement following an abortive putsch in 2016 that he accused Gülen of masterminding. Gülen and the movement strongly deny involvement in the coup attempt or any terrorist activity.
In addition to the thousands who were jailed, scores of other Gülen movement followers had to flee Turkey to avoid the government crackdown.
