Turkey seeks to arrest suspects over links to failed coup

Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-16 18:19:24|Editor: huaxia

ISTANBUL, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Turkey on Wednesday continued to hunt the suspected military personnel who have alleged links to a network believed to be behind a coup attempt in 2016 with a series of operations.

Police units launched operations in 34 provinces to catch at least 132 suspects upon the order of the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in Istanbul, according to the NTV broadcaster.

The suspects included 82 soldiers on active duty and 50 expelled or retired military personnel, it said, noting that so far 106 of them have been detained.

All those targeted in operations have alleged connections with the network headed by the U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, press reports said.

At another nationwide operation conducted on Tuesday, police targeted at least 129 suspects, including academics and doctors who have infiltrated into the Turkish Armed Forces, according to the state-run Anadolu agency.

The Turkish government blames Gulen and his network for masterminding the coup bid in July 2016, in which 250 people were killed, and has been pushing for his extradition. Enditem

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