Turkey orders detention of 304 suspected military members

Turkey's prosecutors issued confinement warrants for 304 military personnel over their suspected links to a network believed to be behind a coup attempt in 2016, the state- run Anadolu agency reported on Tuesday.

Upon the orders of the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in Izmir, the police hurled large-scaled investigations in 50 provinces to arrest the suspects.

The operations included 295 soldiers on active duty while198 suspects were already detained, according to reports.

The alleged suspects are said to have maintained connections with a rumored network led by the U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen.

The Turkish government blames Gulen and his network for masterminding the coup in July 2016, in which 250 people were killed, and pushes for his repatriation. However, Reuters reported Gulen denied the accusations.

( reported by Haifa Muneer )