Mehmet Altan, a prominent professor who was detained along with his brother Ahmet Altan, former editor-in-chief of a Gülenist daily, was remanded in custody after a hearing on his links with the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) late Wednesday.

A court in Istanbul ordered his arrest for openly expressing his support for the terrorist group and a call for a coup just one day before the July 15 coup attempt blamed on a Gülenist junta.

The Altan brothers were recently detained as part of an investigation into the media leg of the terror group whose wrongdoings were at the center in a string of criminal inquiries since 2013. The elder brother Ahmet Altan was the former editor-in-chief of the now-defunct Taraf daily. The now-defunct Taraf was known as a mouthpiece for Gülenists both during the time of the notorious sham trials perpetrated by infiltrators of the terror group in judiciary and police and after the state launched a crackdown on Gülenists in 2013. Ahmet Altan has been released with judiciary control. He already faces a judicial investigation for Taraf's role in sham trials by Gülenists who imprisoned dozens of generals and dignitaries on trumped-up charges.

The court said in its ruling that Mehmet Altan spoke in a TV show aired on Can Erzincan, a station linked to Gülenists, on July 14 and implied a coup was imminent in his statements. The ruling said Mehmet Altan was known for his pro-Gülenist views and tried to change public perception to be supportive of a possible coup.

Also yesterday, police detained İsmail Demiriz, a former player for renowned soccer club Galatasaray. Demiriz was detained in Istanbul's Bakırköy district for his links to the terror cult. Demiriz is among four former Galatasaray players linked to FETÖ. Arif Erdem and Hakan Şükür remain at large while Uğur Tütüneker was released with judiciary control in investigation into Istanbul-based club's ties to the terror group. Demiriz, Şükür and Erdem were recently expelled from club membership over their ties to FETÖ.