Former Istanbul governor Hüseyin Avni Mutlu was arrested early on Friday in connection to the failed coup attempt launched by a small military junta linked to the Gülenist Terror Organization (FETÖ) led by Fethullag Gülen. A court in Istanbul arrested the former official for his links to the terrorist organization.
As part of an ongoing investigation, several police units conducted a search at Mutlu's residence in the early hours of July 26, before he was detained by security forces. He was among 246 governors and district governors who were suspended from duty by the Ministry of the Interior following the coup attempt.
Mutlu served as governor of the Istanbul province between 2010 and 2014, after which he took a post with the Interior Ministry as a civilian authority.
Police operations conducted during Mutlu's term include the allegations against the military in 2010 in connection with the Sledgehammer (Balyoz) coup plot, and investigations into alleged corruption by government officials on Dec. 17 and 25, 2013. Both cases were launched by police officers and prosecutors who were linked to FETÖ. Sentences given to active and retired military officers using fake or illegally gathered evidence were overruled by Turkey's Constitutional Court in the Sledgehammer case, while a retrial ruled for the acquittal of all suspects.
The Gezi Park protests, which started as a small environmental protest against development in Istanbul's Taksim Square, and following a heavy police crackdown turned into a nationwide unrest, also took place during Mutlu's term.
Turkey's top judicial body, the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK), ordered the detention of 2,745 judges and prosecutors for investigation of suspected links to FETÖ, while two members of the Constitutional Court were detained for involvement in the failed coup attempt.
At least 2,839 pro-coup members of the military, including 29 colonels and over 40 generals, have been detained.
As a result of the attempted coup, 264 people were killed, including police officers and civilians, while over 2,000 others were injured. From those involved or supporting the coup, 24 people were killed.