Turkish prosecutors issued arrest warrants for three former military generals and an imam for alleged links to the banned Islamic movement of Fethullah Gülen.
Police officers working for an anti-terrorism unit in Ankara detained three out of the four suspects following an investigation by the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), the state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Wednesday.
Turkey says that Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen, who lives in self-imposed exile in the United States, and his followers carried out a failed military coup in July 2016. Tens of thousands of civil servants and military personnel have been expelled and/or arrested over links to the group since the attempted putsch.
The suspects contacted senior Gülen group members over the public telephone network, Anadolu said, citing a statement by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s office.
Gülen denies involvement in the coup. The United States has yet to approve a request by the Turkish government to extradite him to face trial.
Ahval