Because of alleged Gülen connection: Turkey again wants to arrest its own soldiers

The coup attempt in Turkey is two and a half years ago, but the state still suspects danger from its own ranks: Now the Turkish public prosecutor's office has requested the arrest of altogether 295 active soldiers. They are said to have maintained contact with the banned Gülen movement, the official statement.

Against the officers from army, navy and air force is determined because of suspicious telephone calls of landline telephones or public telephone booths. They are said to have communicated with contact persons in the movement in this way.

In recent weeks, there have been dozens of arrests of active soldiers because of such phone contacts. On Tuesday, 324 arrest warrants were issued against alleged Gülen supporters, including dozens of active soldiers. There have been similar arrests in the past.

For soldiers who had fled to Greece after the failed coup attempt, Turkey recently put out a bounty. Four million Turkish Lira, equivalent to around 670,000 euros, the state wants to pay per soldier sold.

The state is also massively against oppositionists: Last week, a Turkish court of appeal had also confirmed the sentences against former journalists and employees of the government-critical newspaper "Cumhuriyet". You must be in custody for several years.

The Turkish leadership blames the movement for US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen for the coup attempt. Since then, the authorities are massively against alleged Gülen supporters, but also against opposition. Since the coup attempt, around 55,000 people have been imprisoned and more than 140,000 have been dismissed from the civil service.