Court arrests 19 state-run broadcaster employees in Turkey’s coup attempt probe

ANKARA

A court in Ankara ordered the arrest of 19 employees of Turkey’s state-run broadcaster TRT on Aug. 18 as part of an investigation into the Fetullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), which was accused of orchestrating the failed coup attempt of July 15, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Ankara organized crimes police detained a total of 43 TRT employees, including newscasters and inspectors, at the broadcaster’s headquarters on Aug. 11 as part of an investigation run by the Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office. The suspects were transferred to Ankara courthouse after procedures at the police headquarters.

Four of the suspects were released after they testified to the prosecutor.

However, 24 employees were referred to criminal courts of peace for arrest while the other 15 were referred to court with a demand that they be released on judicial control.

Accordingly, the courts ordered the arrest of the 19 suspects while another 20 were released on probation.

Meanwhile, 62 detention warrants were also issued for Istanbul University personnel over suspected FETÖ links.