Turkey has ordered the arrest of 223 serving military personnel across the country and in the breakaway state of Northern Cyprus, France 24 reports with a reference to the Turkish state media. The personnel were arrested over their suspected links to a network Ankara accuses of organising an attempted coup in 2016.
Authorities are seeking the suspects across 49 provinces in Turkey and in Northern Cyprus, state broadcaster TRT Haber said. It said 100 of those facing arrest were from the army, while 41 from the air force and 32 from the navy.
Ankara blames U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, of masterminding the failed putsch on July 15, 2016. He has denied any involvement, France 24 reports.
