Turkey issues detention warrants for 109 suspects on alleged terror charges
ANKARA
Turkey issued detention warrants for 109 people over their suspected links to the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) on May 23, state-run Anadolu Agency reported, citing a judicial source.
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued detention warrants for 39 suspects including 11 former employees of the Family and Social Policies Ministry after they were accused of using ByLock, an encrypted smartphone messaging application that is said to have been used by members of the network, the source speaking on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to media was quoted as saying.
Police have so far detained 13 suspects during simultaneous raids conducted in Ankara, the source said, adding that the operations to detain the remaining suspects were continuing.
More detention warrants were issued in the Central Anatolian province of Konya for 70 suspects, including 43 serving soldiers.
The Konya-based nationwide simultaneous raids conducted across 23 provinces are ongoing, Anadolu Agency reported.
The network of the U.S.-based Fetullah Gülen is widely believed to have been behind the July 2016 coup attempt, which left 250 people killed and nearly 2,200 injured.
A Turkish court on May 21 sentenced 104 people to life in prison for involvement in the failed military coup in 2016, in one of the heaviest penalties given since the attempt.
Back on May 18, a court in Istanbul handed down heavy jail terms to 63 suspects including ex-military students and officers for taking part in the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey, according to a judicial source.
Since the coup attempt, Ankara has launched a sweeping crackdown in the judiciary and other state institutions.
