Some Turkish 'parallel state' suspects released

KONYA – Anadolu Agency

Police arreseted 43 people on May 22. AA photo

Nearly half of the 43 people arrested in a "parallel state" operation launched by prosecutors in Turkey's Central Anatolian province of Konya were released on May 23, police have said. 

The May 22 arrests of police officers and education officials suspected of links to the Gülen movement led by U.S.-based Islamic scholar Fetullah Gülen included Anadolu Atayun, the former head of Konya police's organized crime bureau, and the ex-rector of Mevlana University, Bahattin Adam.

The Konya prosecutor's office had ordered the detention of 66 suspects in 20 provinces on charges of being a member of a criminal organization on May 22. Police were searching for the remaining 23 suspects.

The arrests were the latest in a campaign of parallel state operations that has seen hundreds arrested for links to Gülen movement since last summer.

The group and its followers are accused of orchestrating a corruption probe which, according to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, targeted high-ranking Turkish officials in December 2013 in a bid to overthrow the government.