Skip to main content

Ankara rounds up more 'Gulenist' military pilots

Turkey's crackdown on accused followers of exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen is still going strong, with an avalanche of purges and detentions that show no signs of abating.
U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen at his home in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 10, 2017. REUTERS/Charles Mostoller - RC1EF41BAB10

Turkish authorities continue to net alleged members of what they label a terrorist outfit led by US-based Sunni cleric Fethullah Gulen, issuing arrest warrants for 63 suspects, most of them military pilots. The officers are accused of involvement in the failed 2016 coup to bloodily overthrow Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey insists that Gulen, a former Erdogan ally until the pair fell out over the spoils of power, masterminded the abortive plot that left 250 people dead and propelled an avalanche of purges and detentions that show no signs of abating.

Ankara’s chief prosecutor said 46 of the 63 detainees are helicopter pilots on active military duty. Earlier this month, more than 100 soldiers and former cadets were rounded up on similar charges in raids across the country.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.