Turkey arrests more than 100 soldiers over suspected links with self-exiled cleric Gullen

Turkey’s chief prosecutor on Friday ordered the detention of more than 100 soldiers in the air force for suspected links to Fethullah Gulen, a self-exiled cleric, a former ally of the Turkish president, who the Turkish government accuses of orchestrating a failed coup in 2016.

The detainees included three colonels, two lieutenant colonels, six majors and three captains. Turkish authorities said all service members detained on Friday were on active duty.

The arrests are part of a massive crackdown Turkey has enacted since July 2016, when parts of the military attempted to oust Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and takeover the government. At least 250 people were killed during the failed coup.

DW