Police detain 47 Gülenist suspects across Turkey
|File Photo


Turkish police detained 47 suspects on Tuesday in operations against the members of the Gülenist FETÖ terror organization in Istanbul and elsewhere across Turkey, official sources said. According to a written statement issued by the Eskişehir chief public prosecutor's office, the operations were carried out in Istanbul, Diyarbakir, Kayseri, Bursa, Tokat and Manisa provinces. The suspects are allegedly part of a "parallel state" conspiracy headed by Fetullah Gülen, a U.S.-based Turkish preacher who runs a network of schools and commercial enterprises in Turkey and around the world. They are accused of "forming, leading, helping and being member to an armed terrorist organization." A number of imams are among the fresh batch of detainees.Also on Tuesday, a court in the western port city of Izmir issued arrest warrants for Gülen and seven others for forming and leading "the Gülenist Terror Organization". The Gülen Movement is accused of establishing or managing a terrorist organization, exposing confidential information belonging to the state for political or military espionage purposes, attempting to overthrow or obstruct the function of the government of the Republic of Turkey, violating the confidentiality of private life, unlawful recording of personal information, forgery of official documents, fabricating crimes, and destroying evidence. The ongoing operation against the "parallel state" has resulted in the detention of dozens of police officers and the reassignment of hundreds of other officers across Turkey.