ISTANBUL, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Turkish authorities on Tuesday issued detention warrants for 371 suspects across the country over their alleged links to the 2016 failed coup attempt.
The Izmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office ordered the detention of persons who are suspected of providing funds to the network known as the Gulen movement held by the Turkish government responsible for the failed coup attempt on July 15 nine years ago.
Police launched simultaneous apprehension operations early Tuesday morning across 60 provinces, with the western province of Izmir as the center.
The state-run Anadolu Agency reported that 231 suspects have been detained so far. During the investigation, authorities uncovered an illegal financial system involving about 7.5 million Turkish liras (some 190,000 U.S. dollars) in transactions linked to fugitive members of the Gulen movement living in North America, the Balkans and Europe, the news agency reported.
As part of a separate investigation, Anadolu reported, a joint operation was launched in nine provinces targeting the funding mechanism of the network, during which 26 suspects were detained.
The Turkish government has designated the Gulen movement as a terrorist organization. ■
