Police launch ops to detain 121 ex-Foreign Ministry staff in Gülen probe

ANKARA/KONYA

Turkish security forces on Oct. 26 launched operations to detain 121 alleged members of the Gülen network who had previously been dismissed from the Foreign Ministry, security sources said.

The suspects were accused of using the ByLock smartphone messaging application, an encrypted software allegedly used by Gülenist members before and during last year’s coup attempt.

The arrest warrants were issued for 121 suspects under an investigation against the ex-ministry staff.

Following the warrant, the security forces of the counter-terror office at the Ankara Police department launched an operation in 30 provinces, said the sources.

Also on Oct. 26, an arrest warrant was issued by the Konya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office against 70 on-duty soldiers Turkish Armed Forces.

Konya Police launched an operation in 31 provinces.

Operations are still underway to detain the suspects, said the sources.

Meanwhile, the Turkish education ministry on Oct. 26 decided to shut down four schools which are affiliated with the Gülen network.

Two schools in Ankara, one in the southern Hatay province and one in the western province İzmir were among the closed schools.

The Gülen network and its U.S.-based leader Fethullah Gülen are accused of orchestrating the July 2016 coup attempt.

Ankara accuses the network of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.