158 Turkish Soldiers Arrested for Alleged Involvement in Coup Attempt Against President Erdogan

Istanbul: A total of 158 Turkish soldiers have been arrested on suspicion of supporting the coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, allegedly linked to Fethullah Gülen. According to a statement issued by the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul, these arrests were made on Tuesday, with an additional 18 soldiers still being sought.
Fethullah Gülen, a prominent Turkish cleric who passed away last year, was once a close ally of President Erdogan before becoming one of his most vocal critics. In 1999, Gülen moved to the United States, where he lived in exile and never returned to Turkey. The Turkish government accuses him of masterminding the failed 2016 coup aimed at toppling Erdogan’s administration.
It is important to note that this is not the first wave of arrests in recent months. In late May, approximately 50 Turkish soldiers were also detained under similar allegations. Since the 2016 coup attempt, Turkish authorities have detained nearly 26,000 people, with over 9,000 individuals being sent to prison on charges related to the conspiracy.