More than 800 Turkish arrested again over links with Gulen

A Turkey’s state-run news agency says in the recently nationwide raid made by the Turkish police, hundreds of people with suspected links to U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen have been detained.

According to Anadolu Agency, over 803 people were detained in raids conducted in all of Turkey’s 81 provinces early on Wednesday. The suspects are allegedly Gulen operatives who directed followers within the police force.

“And about 8,500 police officers participated in the operation,” An officer of Anadolu Agency said.

The detentions are part of a widespread crackdown in the wake of last summer’s failed coup attempt, which Turkish government claims that it was planned and staged by Gulen’s movement in Turkey.

According to the Turkey’s interior minister Since the coup de tat attempt, 47,000 people have been arrested and detained, including some military and paramilitary personnel – precisely 10,700 police officers and 7,400 military personnel.

This incident happened just a day after a top human rights body, the Council of Europe, put Turkey on a watchlist following a referendum earlier this month giving Erdogan sweeping new powers.

His his response to this remark, Erdogan tagged the Council’s move as “entirely political” and said Ankara will not wait at Europe’s door forever. He accused it of being hostile to Turkey, even as his country plays a key role in stemming the flow of migrants from neighbouring Syria. He in fact further threatened to quit from EU membership talks altogether.

However, Gulen himself has denied having anything to do with the coup.