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Turkey issues warrants for over 240 soldiers over alleged coup links
ANKARA, July 9, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Turkish police launched raids Tuesday
seeking to arrest more than 240 military personnel suspected of ties to the
group blamed for a 2016 coup attempt, officials said, in an ongoing crackdown
that has already seen thousands jailed.
The Istanbul public prosecutor said it issued arrest warrants for 176
active duty military personnel, including a colonel, five majors and 100
lieutenants from the different armed forces over alleged links to Muslim
preacher Fethullah Gulen’s movement.
Turkey says US-based Gulen ordered the failed overthrow of President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan. Gulen vehemently denies the charge.
The Izmir public prosecutor in the Aegean region issued arrest warrants
for 35 suspects including 20 soldiers on active duty and 10 civilians, state
news agency Anadolu said.
The agency said eight suspects had been detained already.
In the northwestern province of Kocaeli, the prosecutor sought the arrest
of 17 suspects including nine current and former soldiers across seven
cities, Anadolu reported.
The Ankara public prosecutor later Tuesday said it issued 32 arrest
warrants for military personnel in the air force including a colonel and nine
lieutenants.
Authorities have detained tens of thousands of individuals since 2016. The
raids show no sign of slowing with almost daily reports of arrest warrants
issued despite criticism from Western allies and rights defenders.
Critics say the government is using the purge to crack down on dissent.
But Turkish officials stress the raids are necessary to eradicate Gulen’s
influence in state bodies.
BSS/AFP/RY/1856 hrs