47 academics and civil servants detained over suspected Gülen links

ISTANBUL - Anadolu Agency

At least 115 detention warrants were issued on July 10 for academics and bureaucrats in two Istanbul universities, the Prime Ministry and related institutions, with 47 people detained over suspected links to the U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen. 

Some 72 detention warrants were issued for academics at Boğaziçi University and Medeniyet University and 43 warrants were issued for officials at the Prime Ministry, state-run Anadolu Agency reported. 

Most of those on the list were users of ByLock, an encrypted messaging application used almost exclusively by Gülen supporters, according to a statement by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office..

Police detained 47 people at the two universities early on July 10 over alleged links to what the government calls the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), as part of an investigation which was conducted by Istanbul Chief Prosecution Office. 

FETÖ is accused of orchestrating Turkey’s deadly July 15, 2016 military coup attempt.

Some 64 of those for whom detention warrants were issued were from Medeniyet University while eight were from the prestigious Boğaziçi Unviersity.

Koray Çalışkan, a well-known academic working at Boğaziçi University, was among those detained, as well as Hamit Okur, a former rector of Medeniyet University.

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Oğuz Kaan Salıcı announced detention of Çalışkan via his official Twitter account. “Koray Çalışkan was just detained at his home. The reason is not clear yet,” Salıcı tweeted. 

Some 16 professors, eight associate professors, six assistant professors and three administrative personnel were detained from Medeniyet University as one professor, one associate professor, one instructor and five administrative personnel were detained from Boğaziçi University. 

Police sources said three of detainees who had detention warrants were already in jail, while search operations for 22 others were ongoing. 

Some 42 of the people who had detention warrants were on active duty, 18 of them were already dismissed from their duties, and nine of them had recently quit their jobs.
  
The Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office also issued detention warrants for some 43 officials at the Prime Ministry and related institutions on July 10 as part of the investigation into FETÖ.

Six of those for whom detention warrants were issued are currently on duty, while the other 37 were previously dismissed from their jobs.

All of the suspects were reportedly users of the ByLock messaging application, according to officials.