It was earlier reported that the supporters of Fethullah Gulen have penetrated into several government bodies in Turkey.
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Video has also been released of soldiers taking over the headquarters of Turkey’s national TV service in Ankara on July 15, including a top commander changing into his dress uniform to go before the cameras and tell the country that the military had seized power because of rising autocratic rule and increased terrorism.
Prosecutors issued arrest warrants for 187 suspects including CEOs of leading companies, with the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office ordering their assets to be seized, the state-run agency added.
Turkey’s government has said the defeated coup, which left 240 people martyred and almost 2,200 injured, was organized by followers of Fetullah Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the USA state of Pennsylvania since 1999, and his FETO network.
Police from a financial crimes unit launched dawn raids in Istanbul and 17 other provinces targeting businesses suspected of backing Gulen’s movement, the private Dogan news agency reported. Sixty of the suspects, including Omer Faruk Kavurmaci, CEO of the Aydinli Group clothing retailer, were reportedly detained.
Dogan reported that Friday’s fresh raids targeted the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (Tuskon), which has 55,000 members. The other firms raided included fashion company Eroglu and the bakery Gulluoglu Baklava, reports said. Gulen has denied that charge and condemned the coup attempt.
Thursday’s sweep followed a similar operation on Tuesday, which saw dozens more companies raided and around 100 people arrested.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim confirmed on Wednesday over 20,000 people had been remanded in custody since the July 15 coup attempt.
More than 5,000 civil servants have been dismissed and nearly 80,000 others suspended, he said in an interview with TRT public television.
Gulen, a former Erdogan ally, has a powerful network of influence in institutions such as the judiciary and police as well as the media and has always been accused of running a “parallel state” in Turkey.
Erdogan has vowed to choke off businesses linked to Gulen.
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US Vice President Joe Biden will travel to Ankara next week, the White House announced, in the highest ranking visit to Turkey by any Western official since the coup.
