Turkey Issues Warrants for 49 Suspects Tied to Islamic State, Gülen Movement

Turkish authorities issued arrest warrants for 49 individuals suspected of having connections with the Islamic State (IS) and the Gülen Movement. The operation has led to the detention of 11 suspects in Ankara linked to the Gülen Movement, the chief public prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday.

The Gülen Movement, accused by the Turkish government of orchestrating the failed coup on July 15, 2016, which resulted in at least 250 fatalities, has been under intense scrutiny. Turkey holds US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen accountable for the coup attempt, leading to a sweeping crackdown on those associated with the movement.

Concurrently, the crackdown extends to 33 individuals suspected of IS affiliations across eight provinces. They face charges of opposing the law on preventing terrorism financing and being part of an armed terrorist organization. The Turkish government labeled IS as a terrorist group in 2013 and has attributed to the organization several deadly attacks within Turkey since 2015.