New Arrest Warrants Issued for 243 Turkish Military Personnel

Turkish prosecutors have issued new arrest warrants for 243 military personnel across 54 provinces in Turkey. According to Reuters, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Wednesday, January 18, that these arrest warrants are related to the failed coup attempt of July last year. Anadolu Agency stated that these new suspects are linked to the network of Fethullah Gülen, a cleric critical of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. So far, around 41,000 people have been detained in Turkey in connection with the failed coup last summer, and about 120,000 have been dismissed from their jobs. These actions have drawn criticism from human rights organizations and advocates for journalists, as well as some countries like the United States and the European Union. Turkish officials have accused Fethullah Gülen of orchestrating the coup, but he, residing in the United States, has denied the allegations. Nevertheless, Turkish officials have requested Gülen's extradition from the U.S., which has rejected the request, stating that Turkish authorities must provide clear evidence of Gülen's involvement in the coup. Meanwhile, Turkish prosecutors on Tuesday, January 17, requested 142 years in prison for Selahattin Demirtaş, one of the two leaders of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). According to AFP, Demirtaş, who was arrested in November last year, is accused of having connections with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and membership in this party. Turkish prosecutors accuse him of leading the political branch of the PKK, which has been fighting for autonomy for Turkey's Kurds since the early 1980s. Turkish officials consider this party to be terrorist. However, Selahattin Demirtaş has denied these accusations, stating that he is being punished for opposing Erdoğan's efforts to establish a 'presidential system.' According to Anadolu Agency, Turkish prosecutors have also requested 83 years in prison for Figen Yüksekdağ, another leader of the HDP. These two, along with eight other representatives of the HDP, have been detained. AFP noted that in addition, over 50 pro-Kurdish mayors in Turkey were arrested in November. Meanwhile, Mehmet Müezzinoğlu, Turkey's Minister of Labor, announced in an interview on November 24 that more than 10,500 employees and workers have been dismissed from government offices due to alleged connections with the PKK.