Turkish PM’s chief advisor detained over Gülen links released

ANKARA

Authorities on June 16 freed the top advisor to Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım detained on suspicion of links to the movement of US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen accused of masterminding the July 2016 failed coup attempt.

Birol Erdem, a former senior justice ministry official, was released under judicial supervision.

He had been detained in Ankara earlier this month along with his wife Gülümser Erdem.

Unlike her husband, she was, however, placed under arrest by an Ankara court ahead of trial.

Erdem, who was questioned for three days, had been accused of seeking to violate the constitution and being a leader of "an armed terror group”.

Earlier reports had said Erdem was detained after other suspects had named him in their testimonies.