Turkish gov’t issues detention warrants for 125 people, detains dozens over alleged links to Gülen movement

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Detention warrants have been issued by Turkish government for 125 people in 32 provinces as part of a Konya-based investigation as part of Turkish government’s massive post-coup witch hunt campaign targeting the alleged followers of the faith-based Gülen movement on Wednesday.

According to the report, Konya Chief Prosecutor’s Office issued arrest warrants for 125 people including teachers and doctors on accusation that they were affiliated with Gülen movement. Police teams detained at least 30 of them who were targeted by detention warrants on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, 83 people were detained in İzmir province and its districts following the detention warrants issued by İzmir Prosecutor’s Office for 98 people on Wednesday over their alleged links to the Gülen movement. It was reported that there are teachers and police chiefs among the detainees.

In a Malatya-based investigation 16 people were detained by police in Malatya, İstanbul and Adıyaman provinces following the detention warrants have been issued by Malatya Chief Prosecutor’s Office for 21 people over their alleged use of mobile phone messaging application ByLock.

Turkish authorities believe that a mobile phone encrypted messaging application, ByLock, is a communication tool among followers of the faith-based Gülen movement and tens of thousands of people, including civil servants, police officers, soldiers, businessmen and housemakers, have either been dismissed or arrested for using ByLock since the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.

Twelve people were detained in 10 provinces in a Kırklareli-based investigation on Wednesday following the detention warrants issued by Kırklareli Chief Prosecutor’s Office for 15 people over their alleged links to the Gülen movement. It was reported that there are 8 military officers on their active duties, 2 dismissed military officers and 2 civilians among the refugees. It was later learned that those 3 people, who have been sought by the police after detention warrants issued for them, are already in prison over their alleged links to the Gülen movement.

Also, in an Aksaray-based investigation police have detained 17 teachers on Wednesday in Aksaray, Ankara and Kırşehir provinces over their alleged links to the Gülen movement following detention warrants issued by Aksaray Chief Prosecutor’s Office for 20 teachers.

Turkey survived a controversial military coup attempt on July 15, 2016 that killed 249 people. Immediately after the putsch the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government along with Turkey’s autocratic President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pinned the blame on the Gülen movement.

Fethullah Gülen, who inspired the movement, strongly denied having any role in the failed coup and called for an international investigation into it, but President Erdoğan — calling the coup attempt “a gift from God” — and the government initiated a widespread purge aimed at cleansing sympathizers of the movement from within state institutions, dehumanizing its popular figures and putting them in custody.

Turkey’s Justice Ministry announced on July 13 that 50,510 people have been arrested and 169,013 have been the subject of legal proceedings on coup charges since the failed coup. (SCF with turkishminute.com)

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