İzmir police on Friday have detained 34 suspects in operations carried out against the Gülenist Terror Organization (FETÖ) in İzmir province, based on the instructions of İzmir deputy director of public prosecution Okan Bato.
The suspects, who are allegedly affiliated with the Gülen Movement, include businessmen, bureaucrats and lawyers.
Detention warrants have been issued for a total of 57 people according to reports.
The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in Izmir said that an operation against the suspects was launched by its anti-terror and organized crime branch on the grounds that they allegedly collected money for FETÖ through aid, scholarship and forced donations after threats or blackmail.
"In accordance with the evidences, the prosecutor's office launched detentions over 57 suspects, including businessmen, lawyers and a bureaucrat," the office said.
It added that searches at 40 addresses had been carried out so far.
The Gülen Movement led by U.S.-based Fethullah Gülen who lives in self-imposed exile in rural Pennsylvania is accused of conspiring against the Turkish state, wiretapping thousands of people including Turkish government officials and encrypted phones. The movement has been labelled as a threat against Turkey's national security.
Turkish government officials have continuously expressed their determination to continue to lawfully fight against the Gülen Movement, whose followers are accused of infiltrating state institutions to gain control of state mechanisms, and illegal wiretapping, forgery of official documents and spying.
