People hold Turkish national flags as they attend a rally against the military coup in Ankara, on July 25, 2016. Turkish authorities on July 25 issued arrest warrants for over 40 journalists in a new phase of the controversial legal crackdown after the failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, sparking fresh alarm over the scope of the detentions. / AFP PHOTO / ADEM ALTAN |
Turkish authorities ordered the detention of 158 military personnel over their suspected links to a failed coup in 2016, the NTV broadcaster reported on Tuesday.
Security forces launched wide-scale operations across 41 provinces simultaneously upon the order of the prosecutors in Turkey's western province of Izmir and detained 97 suspects, according to the report.
Prosecutors concluded in their investigations that the suspects, including soldiers on active duty and former military school students, have alleged connections with the network headed by the U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen.
The Turkish government blames Gulen and his network for masterminding the coup bid in July 2016, in which 250 people were killed.
Published on: Tuesday, October 19, 2021, 06:24 PM IST
