Turkish prosecution sanctioned arrests of 87 Istanbul University employees who may be linked to Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen accused of orchestrating the July coup attempt, local media reported Friday.
The police are currently carrying out searches in 12 provinces, looking for the suspects who include the university’s academics, according to Turkish Anadolu news agency.
On July 15, a military coup attempt took place in Turkey. Ankara accused preacher Gulen, who has been living in the US state of Pennsylvania since 1999, and his followers of playing a key role in the coup. Since July, Turkey has arrested hundreds of military personnel, activists and journalists on suspicion of links with Gulen.
The crackdown on opposition has soured Turkey’s relationship with the European Union countries, whose representatives have spoken out against Ankara’s hardline approach.
Source: Agencies
