Istanbul court releases hundreds of conscripts held after failed coup
More than 9,000 people arrested in past two weeks; Turkish authorities issue warrants for 40 journalists
ISTANBUL — An Istanbul court has released hundreds of enlisted conscripts under arrest as part of the investigation into the July 15 abortive coup, the state-run Anadolu news agency says.
After taking their testimony, prosecutors working for the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s office requested the release of 758 of the 989 conscripts. An Istanbul court ruled in favor of their release on the grounds their arrests were no longer necessary and that they did not pose a flight risk.
Among those released were military high school students.
According to the latest figures by Interior Minister Efkan Ala, over 9,000 people, mostly military, have been put under arrest in the aftermath of the failed coup, which caused the deaths of over 200 people.
Earlier this week, Turkish authorities issued arrest warrants for over 40 journalists in a new phase of the controversial legal crackdown after the failed coup, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was to host opposition party chiefs for an unprecedented meeting.
Over 13,000 people have been detained in a vast sweep in the wake of the July 15 coup bid, which the authorities blame on the reclusive US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen.
The government blamed the 2013 corruption scandal on Gulen, with some officials at the time calling it a coup bid aimed at ousting the president.
Erdogan’s government had been under fire even before the failed putsch for restricting press freedoms in Turkey, accusations the authorities strongly deny.
In new raids on Monday, police detained some 40 suspects at the army’s military academy on the European side of Istanbul, Anadolu reported.
Amnesty International in London claimed it had “credible evidence” of the beating and torture of post-coup detainees but a Turkish official vehemently denied the accusations.
Turkey has undergone a seismic shift since the night of violence when renegade soldiers sought to topple Erdogan but were stopped by crowds of civilians and loyalist security forces. At least 270 people were killed on both sides.
The authorities have announced they will disband the 2,500-strong Presidential Guard, almost 300 of whose members have been detained.
The length of time suspects can be held in custody without charge has been extended from four days to one month under a state of emergency that has caused alarm in the EU.
Erdogan’s government has also sacked thousands of teachers, professors and civil servants and closed schools and universities.
The government says the stringent measures are needed to clear out the influence of Gulen from Turkey’s institutions, claiming that he has created a “parallel state” inside Turkey.
Gulen, 75, who lives in a compound in rural Pennsylvania and whose foundation runs a global network of schools, charities and media interests, has strongly denied the accusations.
