Baku, Azerbaijan, July 22
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
Over 70 policemen have been detained as a result of the operation being held in Turkey against the supporters of the Fethullah Gulen movement, Turkish TRT Haber TV channel reported on July 22.
Currently, the operation is being conducted on 200 addresses in the city of Istanbul.
The former Istanbul Police Department Intelligence Bureau chief Ali Fuat Yılmazer is among the detained.
The personnel purges against the supporters of Fethullah Gulen were resumed in Turkey's defense and law enforcement agencies on July 22.
Gulen, the founder of the Hizmet public movement, as well as, the Turkish Journalists and Writers Foundation, are accused of being involved in a huge wiretapping scandal by the Turkish government.
Following the case, Prime Minister Erdogan accused Gulen and representatives of his movement of standing behind the wiretapping of the phone conversations.
Erdogan also stressed that the Gulen movement, which he earlier called a "parallel structure", proved with its anti-state activities that it is not a religious movement but a politicized and illegal structure.
Turkish PM called on Gulen not to intervene in Turkey's internal affairs and accused the U.S. of supporting him.
A criminal case has been initiated in Turkey against Fethullah Gulen for his coup attempt and espionage against Turkey.
Earlier, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Gulen will be extradited from the U.S., adding that Turkey has launched the legal procedure for extradition of Gulen.
Edited by CN