Turkey detains 10 foreign nationals over suspected ties

Associated Press

ANKARA, TURKEY

Turkish authorities have detained at least 10 foreign nationals suspected of ties to a U.S.-based cleric whom Turkey accuses of masterminding the July 15 failed coup, a senior official said Monday.

At least four of them had been formally arrested pending trial while a fifth person had been released, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.

One of the suspects was detained Saturday after entering Turkey illegally from Syria, the deputy premier said. Kurtulmus said at least one wanted foreign national was on the run.

He didn’t provide details on their nationalities, but said the number of foreigners detained could increase as the investigation deepens.

Turkey’s government launched a sweeping crackdown targeting followers of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused of being behind the coup attempt by renegade soldiers within the military. Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, has denied involvement.

Nearly 18,000 people have been detained or arrested in the crackdown, mostly from the military.

The government is demanding Gulen’s extradition from the U.S. Washington has said it would need evidence of the cleric’s involvement, and says the extradition process must be allowed to take its course.