ANKARA, Turkey (A.W.)— On April 26, Turkish police announced they had recently arrested more than a 1,000 people accused of ties to the U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen blamed for last year’s failed coup.
The state-run Anadolu Agency reported that the people were detained in raids conducted in Turkey’s 81 provinces. The latest raids targeted “secret imams” suspected of being part of a Gulen network that infiltrated the police force. The Turkish media has reported that over 3,000 detention warrants had been issued in the latest operation.
The mass arrests were also the largest in months in Turkey and in part of the government’s purge of the state institutions after the coup attempt that has led to the detention or arrests of more than 100,000 people.
Turkish President Recap Tayyip Erdogan and his government have accused Gulen—who lives in exile in Pennsylvania—of orchestrating the coup and has demanded his extradition. Gulen denies any role in the coup attempt.
These arrests, announced by the Interior Ministry, come a week after the people of Turkey narrowly voted for in support of a new constitution that granted additional powers to Erdogan.
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