Turkey orders the arrest of hundreds of military over alleged coup ties | DW | 08.12.2020

Turkey has ordered the detention of 304 members of the military suspected of having links to US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, state-run media reported on Tuesday.

Ankara claims that Gulen was behind a 2016 coup attempt in which more than 285 people died. Gulen denies the accusation.

The Adadolu news agency said the operation, led by prosecutors in the western city of Izmir, was spread over 50 provinces. It said the investigation targeted suspects in the army and air force, including five colonels and 10 captains.

Turkish police detained 198 people, including soldiers, in nationwide raids on Tuesday, Anadolu reported.