Detention warrants were issued on Friday for 70 teachers as part of an investigation into the faith-based Gülen movement, DHA reported.
According to the report, as part of an Ankara-based investigation, police launched operations in 11 provinces to detain 70 teachers who were former staff members at schools closed by a state of emergency decree following a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.
Twenty seven of the reachers were accused of using a smart phone application known as ByLock. Turkish authorities believe ByLock is a communication tool among followers of the Gülen movement.
The Gülen movement is accused by the Turkish government of mounting a coup attempt on July 15, 2016. The movement strongly denies any involvement.
A total of 1,803 people were detained in the first three weeks of 2018 as part of a witch-hunt targeting the Gülen movement.
A total of 62,895 people were detained in 2017 in investigations into the movement, according to Interior Ministry reports.
Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu on Jan. 5 said 48,305 people were jailed in 2017 alone over Gülen movement links.
Soylu said on Dec. 12 that 55,665 people have been jailed and 234,419 passports have been revoked as part of investigations into the movement since the failed coup.
Soylu on Nov. 16 had said eight holdings and 1,020 companies were seized as part of operations against the movement.
The Justice Ministry announced on July 13 that 169,013 people have been the subject of legal proceedings on coup charges since the failed coup.
Turkey has suspended or dismissed more than 150,000 judges, teachers, police and civil servants since July 15, 2016 through government decrees issued as part of an ongoing state of emergency declared after the coup attempt.
