Issuance of Arrest Warrant for 295 Military Personnel in Turkey on Charges of Connection with Gülen

The Istanbul Prosecutor's Office announced on Friday, February 22, that an arrest warrant has been issued for 295 military personnel on charges of connection with the network of Fethullah Gülen. The Turkish government claims that Gülen, a cleric living in the United States for many years, is the mastermind behind the failed coup of 2016. According to Reuters, among those arrested are three colonels, eight lieutenant colonels, and ten lieutenants. The Istanbul Prosecutor's statement indicated that half of the accused are personnel from the land forces, and about half are from other branches, including the navy and air force. The statement noted that a coordinated police operation to arrest these suspects began at 1 AM local time and was the result of investigations into phone contacts of individuals suspected of collaborating with Gülen's network. The Istanbul police announced on Friday afternoon that 150 of the suspects have been arrested during a coordinated operation executed in 55 different regions of the country. Approximately 250 people were killed in the failed coup in the summer of 2016. Fethullah Gülen, a former ally of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who has been living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, USA since 1999, has denied any involvement in the coup. The current Turkish government claims that Gülen's network has infiltrated various government institutions, including security forces, the judiciary, and various ministries, through cheating on entrance exams over the decades, creating a 'parallel government.' Reuters adds that since the coup, the Turkish government has carried out a widespread and ongoing purge in government offices and institutions, while the Turkish prosecutor's office has also initiated extensive investigations against individuals suspected of connections to Gülen. Turkey's Western allies have criticized this crackdown and extensive purges, which have essentially relied on emergency regulations implemented after the coup and continued until last July. Critics accuse Erdoğan of using the failed coup as a pretext to suppress his political opponents. However, the Turkish government claims that these actions are necessary for national security. During this period, more than 77,000 people have been detained and are still awaiting trial, and widespread arrests continue. Simultaneously, over 150,000 personnel from the armed forces, police, judiciary, and other government departments have been dismissed or suspended. Hulusi Akar, Turkey's Minister of Defense and former chief of staff of the armed forces, stated that since the coup, more than 15,000 members of the armed forces, including 150 generals and admirals, have been dismissed.