Another 63 police officers who were earlier dismissed from profession have been put under arrest over their alleged use of ByLock smartphone application. Turkish authorities believe ByLock is a communication tool between members of the Gülen movement.
The İstanbul-based investigation sought arrest of 72 former police officers, but the court in charge jailed 63 of them with the remaining 9 released on judicial control, on Friday.
Tens of thousands of civil servants, police officers and businessmen have either been dismissed or arrested for using ByLock. Critics, however, blast the government for detaining thousands simply for using a mobile application
Turkey experienced a military coup attempt on July 15 that killed over 240 people. Immediately after the putsch, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government along with Turkey’s autocratic President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pinned the blame on the Gülen movement.
Gülen movement is inspired by the US-based Turkish Muslim intellectual Fethullah Gülen who has been advocating science education, interfaith and intercultural dialogue and community contribution. Gülen has been a vocal critic of Turkish government and autocratic President Erdoğan on massive corruption in the government as well as Turkey’s aiding and abetting of radical groups in Syria. Erdoğan launched an unprecedented persecution against Gülen and his followers in December 2013 right after major corruption probe that incriminated Erdoğan’s family members.
The ruling Islamist leaders labelled the movement as ‘FETÖ’, a terrorist organization, although Gülen, 75-year old cleric, and his followers have never advocated violence but rather remained staunchly opposed to any violence, radicalism and terror in the name of religion. (SCF with turkeypurge.com) March 17, 2017
