Turkish authorities on Thursday issued detention warrants for 35 people, including nine journalists, on suspicion of links to last July’s attempted military coup, the state-run Anadolu news agency said.
The suspects, including the editor of the opposition Birgun newspaper Burak Ekici, were accused of “membership of an armed terrorist organisation”, Anadolu said. It said police were carrying out raids at the suspects’ addresses.
The suspects were believed to be users of ByLock, an encrypted messaging app the government says was used by the network of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. Gulen, whom Ankara blames for orchestrating the abortive coup, has denied involvement in the attempted military takeover.
Anadolu said the detention warrants were aimed at the media branch of Gulen’s network. The identities of the other suspects were not immediately clear.
The on-going crackdown, particularly against journalists, has alarmed rights groups and some of Turkey’s Western allies, who fear the government is using the coup as a pretext to quash dissent.