ISTANBUL, Jul 27 (NNN-ANADOLU) – Turkish law enforcement units, detain 26 military personnel, on the grounds of aiding a network, accused of orchestrating a coup attempt in 2016, local media reported yesterday.
In a joint effort by the army and the police forces, detaining 35 individuals, whose arrests were warranted by the prosecutor’s office following surveillance, simultaneous raids were carried out in 18 provinces, with a focus on the western province of Izmir, said the Hurriyet daily.
Units from the Turkish Intelligence spotted out-of-protocol communication attempts, by some army members with the network, led by the U.S.-based cleric, Fethullah Gulen, it added.
Among those whose arrest are warranted, 14 of them are former military school students, 14 are active military personnel, and seven are former military personnel, it said.
Authorities are on the lookout for the remaining nine individuals, who eluded the raids.
Ankara sees Gulen and his network as responsible for the failed 2016 coup attempt, in which more than 250 people were killed. A purge to eliminate infiltrators in the army and bureaucracy has been going on since.– NNN-ANADOLU
