ISTANBUL, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Turkey issued detention warrants for 295 soldiers in active service on Friday over their alleged links to a network believed to be behind a coup attempt in 2016.
Police launched operations in 59 provinces across the country to catch the suspects who are believed to have contacted members of the network led by the U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen via payphone and landlines, according to the Hurriyet daily.
Two colonels were among those targeted in the raids conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, Hurriyet said.
The military is among the institutions hit hard in the ongoing investigation and crackdown launched soon after the coup bid in July 2016, in which 250 people were killed.
Ankara accuses Gulen and his group of masterminding the putsch and has been pushing for his extradition.
