Turkey seeks detention of 31 military personnel over failed coup

Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-20 22:12:55|Editor: huaxia

ISTANBUL, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Turkish prosecutors on Tuesday issued detention warrants for at least 31 military personnel over their alleged links to a network believed to be behind a coup attempt in 2016.

Police launched simultaneous operations in 16 provinces across the country to catch the suspects, including several soldiers on active duty, upon the order of the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in Istanbul, the state-run Anadolu agency reported.

It said 20 of them have been detained so far.

Earlier in the day, prosecutors in the capital Ankara had also issued detention warrants for 34 soldiers, 21 of whom were on active duty, according to press reports.

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

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

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