Ankara
On Wednesday, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that police had detained 20 individuals across Turkey for their alleged involvement with a network accused of planning the 2016 coup attempt.
Simultaneous raids were conducted across 11 provinces, as Yerlikaya reported on social media platform X, although he did not specify the timing of the operations.
The detained suspects are believed to be part of the ‘military elite structure’ of the Gulen Movement, which the Turkish government holds responsible for the failed coup on July 15, 2016. According to Yerlikaya, the suspects used pay phones for communication and were connected to key figures within the Gulen Movement. They were also identified as users of the movement’s encrypted communication app, ‘ByLock.’
Yerlikaya mentioned that the suspects’ names were found in the testimonies of previously arrested group members. The Turkish government has long accused the Gulen Movement of orchestrating the coup attempt, which resulted in over 250 deaths. In response, Ankara has conducted a broad crackdown on individuals suspected of links to the movement.
