Turkish police have detained 54 staff from a university shut down after an attempted coup last year that was blamed on US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, state-run Anadolu news agency said on Wednesday.
It said the police had arrest warrants for a total of 171 academics and staff from Istanbul’s former Fatih University, which was regarded as having close ties to Gulen. The cleric has denied any involvement in the failed putsch of July 15, 2016.
Fatih University was shut under a state decree following the coup attempt and Anadolu said staff there were found to have been users of ByLock, an encrypted messaging application which the government says was commonly used by Gulen’s supporters.
READ ALSO: Turkey orders detention of 100 former police officers in post-coup probe
Since the coup attempt more than 50,000 people, including civil servants and security personnel, have been jailed pending trial and some 150,000 suspended or dismissed from their jobs.
Rights groups say the crackdown has been exploited to muzzle dissent. The government says the measures have been necessary due to the security threats which has Turkey faced since the putsch, in which 250 people were killed.
-
Turkey demands life sentences for journalists in coup bid trial
Turkish prosecutors have demanded life sentences for three veteran Turkish journalists on trial over accusations of links to the 2016 failed coup, in ... Print -
Turkey orders detention of 100 former police officers in post-coup probe
Turkish authorities issued detention warrants on Saturday for 100 former police officers and have so far detained 63 of them, the state-run Anadolu ... Middle East -
Turkey briefly detains Kocaeli Koz editor over coup column
Turkish authorities briefly detained the editor of a regional newspaper over a column she wrote criticizing the government for exaggerating the ... Print -
In shadow of crackdown, Turkey commemorates failed coup
Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan and members of the opposition came together on Saturday to mark the anniversary of last year’s failed ... Middle East -
Trial begins of alleged Turkey coup ringleaders
The trial opened on Monday of more than 220 suspects, including over two dozen former Turkish generals, accused of being among the ringleaders of the ... World News