Turkish police launch ops to detain 110 soldiers, others over alleged Gulen ties

Turkish police on Monday launched operations to detain 110 more individuals, mostly soldiers, suspected of ties to the group blamed for the 2016 coup attempt, the Ankara public prosecutor’s office said. It added that among the latest suspects sought were 43 lieutenants and 50 sergeants from the Turkish land forces. Eight civilians were taken into custody on Monday, who had worked or were working in the Health Ministry or hospitals. Tens of thousands of people have been held over alleged ties to US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen since the failed coup, while over 140,000 public sector employees have been sacked or suspended, AFP reports. Although Ankara has come under criticism from Western states and human rights defenders over the scale of the crackdown, Turkish officials say that the raids are necessary to remove Gulen’s influence in state institutions.