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Turkish public prosecutors, on Tuesday, ordered that 288 people be detained over suspected links to a failed military coup in 2016, the state news agency reported on Tuesday.
“Police arrested 20 people in Istanbul and are seeking 144 others in different provinces,’’ the state news said.
It cited alleged connections to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen whom the government blames for the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.
Separately the public prosecutor of Ankara ordered the detention of 124 people who are accused of using an encrypted messaging app called ByLock.
The government considered the app a key communication network between followers of Gulen.
However, he denied involvement in the failed coup.
The government has arrested 47,000 people for links to Gulen.
Also 100,000 have been removed from the civil service and security forces, either by being fired or suspended.
Turkey is under a state of emergency, enacted after the failed coup, which grants the authorities sweeping powers. (NAN)
