At least 58 soldiers of Turkish Armed Forces have been arrested in counter-terror operations across Turkey, for alleged links to the Gulen movement, the group behind last year's attempted coup, police sources said Monday.
The arrests came after arrest warrants were issued last Thursday by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in central Konya province against 70 on-duty soldiers. Konya police had ordered the launch of operations in 31 provinces.
A search for the 12 fugitives is underway, said the sources, who requested anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
The movement and its U.S.-based leader Fethullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 250 people dead and nearly 2,200 injured.
Ankara accuses Gulen of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.
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This article has been adapted from its original source.
