14 high ranking municipal officers detained in Gülen probe in Turkey’s south

MERSİN

Fourteen high ranking municipal officers were detained on Aug. 2 in southern Mersin Metropolitan Municipality as a part of the investigation into the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETÖ), which was blamed for the failed coup attempt of July 15.

Police detained municipal officers including deputy mayor Mehmet Özgür Sanal, general secretary Haluk Tunçsu and executive assistant Hüdaverdi Aydoğdu, along with a number of department heads in an operation conducted at the municipality.

In addition, the mayor’s advisor, Aşkın Günay, and the municipality’s lawyer, Hüseyin Ozan Çetin, were also among the detained.

The department heads who were detained included financial affairs department head Tevfik Dinçer, personnel department head Fuat Kurt, transportation department head Hüseyin Namlı and municipal police department head Ozan Çetin.

Eleven personnel at the municipality were previously dismissed from their duties on July 27 as a part of the investigation.

Meanwhile, another three people were also detained in the province’s Mut district on Aug. 2 as a part of the investigation by the Mut Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

A local court later ordered the arrest of two suspects, Yasin Altunkaynak and Şükrü Akın, while Mehmet Uzun was released on probation.