Turkish prosecutors issued detention warrants for 63 people, including former personnel of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT), and civilians allegedly linked to them, in another post-coup operation targeting alleged Gülen movement ties.
The operation was launched across 21 provinces in September 2017.
Those named in the warrants included former MİT employees who had already been dismissed from public service and were reportedly the subject of criminal complaints.
The warrants also targeted civilians whom authorities claimed had contact with or links to the dismissed intelligence personnel.
Police began raids in multiple provinces to detain the individuals named by prosecutors.
The operation was part of the continuing crackdown after Turkey’s July 15, 2016 coup attempt, in which state institutions, including the military, judiciary, police, intelligence services, ministries and universities, were purged through dismissals, detentions and prosecutions.
The Gülen movement is a transnational civic initiative inspired by Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.
Ankara blames the coup attempt on the movement and designates it as a terrorist organization. The movement denies involvement in the coup attempt or any terrorist activity.
The targeting of former intelligence personnel was notable because MİT was one of the most sensitive state institutions in post-coup investigations.
