Ten military officers were arrested on Friday as part of a Konya-based investigation targeting alleged followers of the faith-based Gülen movement in the military, the Hürriyet daily has reported.
According to the report, the Konya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office recently issued detention warrants for 21 officers, including two lieutenant commanders, 13 first lieutenants and six lieutenants from the 3rd Main Jet Airbase.
The military officers, 20 of whom were detained by the police on July 4, are accused of violating the constitution, attempting to hinder legislative bodies, rebelling against the government and membership in an armed organization.
The court ruled for the arrest of 10 officers and released 10 others on judicial probation.
Turkey survived a military coup attempt on July 15 that killed over 240 people and wounded more than a thousand others. Immediately after the putsch, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government along with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pinned the blame on the Gülen movement.
Fethullah Gülen, who inspired the movement, strongly denied having any role in the failed coup and called for an international investigation into it, but President Erdoğan — calling the coup attempt “a gift from God” — and the government initiated a widespread purge aimed at cleansing sympathizers of the movement from within state institutions, dehumanizing its popular figures and putting them in custody.
Turkey has suspended or dismissed more than 150,000 judges, teachers, police and civil servants since July 15.
Turkey’s Justice Ministry announced on July 13 that 50,510 people have been arrested and 169,013 have been the subject of legal proceedings on coup charges since the failed coup.
