Latest news with #IstanbulChiefPublicProsecutor'sOffice
Roya News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Roya News
Fifth wave of arrests hits Istanbul as Turkey jails more opposition voices
Turkish authorities have launched a new wave of arrests targeting dozens of opposition figures, including mayors and party officials in Istanbul and Adana, in what critics say is a politically motivated campaign. According to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, arrest warrants were issued for 47 individuals, with at least 30 already detained. The latest operation marks the fifth round of detentions since March, when Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu—President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's most prominent political rival—was imprisoned. Local officials, particularly from the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), have been the primary targets of these raids. Turkish officials maintain that the crackdown is rooted in legitimate corruption allegations and deny any political agenda, asserting that the judiciary remains independent. In a letter sent from prison and read at an opposition rally on Saturday, Imamoglu condemned the ongoing arrests. 'It is time to say 'enough is enough' to this unjust and unlawful order.' He added, 'Now you are taking our district mayors with fictitious excuses. What will you do? Where will you stop? Are you going to throw 16 million Istanbulites in jail one by one?' Imamoglu, a rising star within the CHP, has been accused of corruption and links to a terrorist organization—charges he denies. His imprisonment has sparked nationwide protests and further arrests, with the Istanbul prosecutor's office reporting that 819 individuals detained during demonstrations are now facing trial in 20 separate cases. The latest arrests involved four coordinated operations across Istanbul and Adana. Among those apprehended were municipal mayors, city officials, and members of the CHP. Baki Aydöner, a CHP Party Assembly member, shared on X that he was in Ankara when his wife informed him their home was being searched. Aydöner said he was traveling to Istanbul in response to a detention order issued against him.
United News of India
23-05-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Türkiye detains 56 active-duty soldiers over links to failed coup
Istanbul, May 23 (UNI) Turkish police detained 56 active-duty soldiers on Friday over their alleged links to a failed coup in an operation spanning 36 provinces, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced. In a statement, the office said arrest warrants had been issued for 63 soldiers over links to the network known as the Gulen movement, which the Turkish government holds responsible for the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016. Simultaneous operations began at 6 a.m. local time (0300 GMT) to apprehend the suspects, and so far, 56 active-duty soldiers from various branches, including the Air Force, Gendarmerie, Land Forces, and Navy, have been apprehended. The operations are still ongoing to apprehend the remaining individuals. The Gulen movement, led by Turkish preacher Fethullah Gulen, who passed away in 2024 in the United States, has been accused by the Turkish government of masterminding the coup attempt, which resulted in the deaths of over 250 people. UNI XINHUA GNK
Saudi Gazette
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Turkey issues dozens of arrest warrants for military personnel over alleged links to 2016 coup
ISTANBUL — The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has issued arrest warrants for 63 active-duty military personnel accused of links to the Gülen movement, which Ankara blames for the July 2016 failed coup attempt According to a statement released, simultaneous operations were carried out across 36 provinces, resulting in the detention of 56 suspects. Among those detained are four colonels, as well as officers from the Turkish land, naval, and air forces and the gendarmerie. The prosecutor's office said that the suspects include eight personnel from the air force, 13 from the Gendarmerie General Command, 36 from the land forces, and six from the navy. The detainees comprise four colonels, eight lieutenant colonels, 12 majors, 15 captains, and 24 non-commissioned officers. The statement alleges that these individuals have ties to the group founded by cleric Fethullah Gülen, who lived in self-imposed exile in the United States from 1999 until his death in October 2024. The group is accused by Turkish authorities of orchestrating the 2016 coup attempt, which claimed the lives of around 290 people. The prosecutor's office said in a statement: "The arrest and detention of 63 suspects in Istanbul and 35 other cities was launched simultaneously at 6 am today (5 am CEST), in accordance with instructions given to the Istanbul Police Anti-Terror Branch Directorate. We will keep you informed of further developments." On the evening of 15 July 2016, military units loyal to the plotters launched an attempted coup d'état and took to the streets of Ankara and Istanbul, bombing government buildings including the Turkish Parliament and the presidential palace. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was on holiday in Marmaris at the time. Several senior officials, including then Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar and General Yaşar Güler (now Defence Minister), were taken hostage. In Friday's statement, the prosecutor's office said the suspects had been identified through telephone communication records. The statement described the Gülen movement as "the biggest threat to the constitutional order and survival of the state," and claimed that the number of undetected military personnel affiliated with the organization exceeded those who actively participated in the coup. Although specific charges were not detailed, the prosecutor's office noted that around 25,800 military personnel have been detained in connection with the failed coup attempt since 2016. The Gülen movement — officially referred to by the government as the "Fethullahist Terrorist Organisation/Parallel State Structure" (FETÖ/PDY) — has long been accused of establishing a clandestine network within state institutions, including the judiciary, police and military. The group has been implicated in various criminal activities, including leaking university entrance exam questions and orchestrating the assassination of academic Necip Hablemitoğlu. It is also accused of involvement in the murder of journalist Hrant Dink and other serious crimes. The first legal case against the organization was filed in 1999. The indictment accused Gülen and his followers of trying to create "an illegal organization with the aim of establishing a state based on Islamic principles by changing the constitutional system." Although originally Gülen was considered a friend and supporter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, tensions between the Gülen movement and the ruling AK Party escalated significantly in 2013 during a corruption investigation, dubbed by critics as a coup attempt, led by prosecutors allegedly linked to the group. Following the 2016 coup attempt, further crackdowns took place under a state of emergency, and many individuals were dismissed via emergency decrees. Critics have raised concerns over inconsistencies in the enforcement of justice. While some high-profile businessmen with alleged ties to the movement have avoided prison, many low-level affiliates were jailed or lost their jobs. Former AK Party MP Şamil Tayyar claimed that a "FETÖ stock exchange" operated during the purges, where businessmen could allegedly avoid prosecution by paying bribes. "There are millions of dollars involved," Tayyar said. "They're releasing businessmen under the guise of being informants. This is happening all over Turkey." — Euronews
Euronews
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Arrest warrants issued for Turkish military personnel for coup links
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has issued arrest warrants for 63 active-duty military personnel accused of links to the Gülen movement (FETÖ), which Ankara blames for the failed coup attempt on 15 July 2016. According to a statement released, simultaneous operations were carried out across 36 provinces, resulting in the detention of 56 suspects. Among those detained are four colonels, as well as officers from the Turkish Land, Naval, and Air Forces and the Gendarmerie. The prosecutor's office said that the suspects include eight personnel from the Air Force, 13 from the Gendarmerie General Command, 36 from the Land Forces, and six from the navy. The detainees comprise four colonels, eight lieutenant colonels, 12 majors, 15 captains, and 24 non-commissioned officers. The statement alleges that these individuals have ties to FETÖ, the group founded by cleric Fethullah Gülen, who lived in self-imposed exile in the United States from 1999 until his death in October 2024. The group is accused by Turkish authorities of orchestrating the 2016 coup attempt, which claimed the lives of around 290 people. The prosecutor's office said in a statement: "The arrest and detention of 63 suspects in Istanbul and 35 other cities was launched simultaneously at 06:00 today, in accordance with instructions given to the Istanbul Police Anti-Terror Branch Directorate. We will keep you informed of further developments." On the evening of 15 July 2016, military units loyal to the plotters launched an attempted coup d'état and took to the streets of Ankara and Istanbul, bombing government buildings including the Turkish Parliament and the presidential palace. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was on holiday in Marmaris at the time. Several senior officials, including then Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar and General Yaşar Güler (now Defence Minister), were taken hostage. In Friday's statement, the prosecutor's office said the suspects had been identified through telephone communication records. The statement described FETÖ as "the biggest threat to the constitutional order and survival of the state," and claimed that the number of undetected military personnel affiliated with the organisation exceeded those who actively participated in the coup. Although specific charges were not detailed, the prosecutor's office noted that around 25,800 military personnel have been detained in connection with the failed coup attempt since 2016. The Gülen movement — officially referred to by the government as the Fethullahist Terrorist Organisation/Parallel State Structure (FETÖ/PDY) — has long been accused of establishing a clandestine network within state institutions, including the judiciary, police and military. The group has been implicated in various criminal activities, including leaking university entrance exam questions and orchestrating the assassination of academic Necip Hablemitoğlu. It is also accused of involvement in the murder of journalist Hrant Dink and other serious crimes. The first legal case against the organisation was filed in 1999. The indictment accused Gülen and his followers of trying to create "an illegal organisation with the aim of establishing a state based on Islamic principles by changing the constitutional system." Tensions between the Gülen movement and the ruling AK Party escalated significantly in 2013 during a corruption investigation, dubbed by critics as a coup attempt, led by prosecutors allegedly linked to the group. Following the coup attempt in 2016, further crackdowns took place under a state of emergency, with many individuals dismissed via emergency decrees. Critics have raised concerns over inconsistencies in the enforcement of justice. While some high-profile businessmen with alleged ties to the movement have avoided prison, many low-level affiliates were jailed or lost their jobs. Former AK Party MP Şamil Tayyar claimed that a "FETÖ stock exchange" operated during the purges, where businessmen could allegedly avoid prosecution by paying bribes. "There are millions of dollars involved," Tayyar said. "They're releasing businessmen under the guise of being informants. This is happening all over Turkey."
Al Arabiya
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Turkish opposition leader attacked in Istanbul, raising fears over politicians' safety
The leader of Turkey's main opposition party was attacked as he left a memorial ceremony in Istanbul on Sunday. Ozgur Ozel, who heads the Republican People's Party, or CHP, was leaving the Ataturk Cultural Center in the city center when a white-haired man approached him and struck him in the face with an open hand, televised footage showed. The suspect was detained, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said. Ozel, who was attending a memorial for Sirri Sureyya Onder , a pro-Kurdish politician who died Saturday, was said to be unhurt. The incident renews fears over the security of politicians in Turkey. In 2019, Ozel's predecessor as CHP leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, was assaulted while attending a soldier's funeral in Ankara province.
