Turkish and Russian military vehicles patrol in the countryside of Rumaylan (Rmeilan) in Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province near the Turkish border on Sept 16, 2021. (DELIL SOULEIMAN / AFP)
ISTANBUL – Turkish authorities ordered the detention of 158 military personnel over their suspected links to a failed coup in 2016, the NTV broadcaster reported on Tuesday.
Security forces launched wide-scale operations across 41 provinces simultaneously upon the order of the prosecutors in Turkey's western province of Izmir and detained 97 suspects, according to the report.
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Prosecutors concluded in their investigations that the suspects, including soldiers on active duty and former military school students, have alleged connections with the network headed by the US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen.
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The Turkish government blames Gulen and his network for masterminding the coup bid in July 2016, in which 250 people were killed.