Turkey arrests more than 800 as Erdogan launches fresh clampdown

Clampdown: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
AP
Rashid Razaq26 April 2017

Turkish authorities arrested more than 800 people accused of trying to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in one the biggest operations since a failed coup attempt last year.

Dozens of police officers were among those detained for alleged links with US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen.

Detention orders had been issued for 1,000 people, of which 803 had been detained, security sources said, in operations carried out across all 81 of Turkey’s provinces.

Those detained would be taken to the capital Ankara, the sources added.

After the abortive coup in July, authorities arrested 40,000 people and sacked or suspended 120,000 others from a wide range of professions including soldiers, police, teachers and public servants, over alleged links with terrorist groups.

The latest arrests come 10 days after a tightly contested referendum approved the expansion of President Tayyip Erdogan’s powers, according to preliminary results.

The referendum bitterly divided Turkey. Mr Erdogan argues that strengthening the presidency will avert instability associated with coalition governments at a time when Turkey also faces security threats from Islamist and Kurdish militants.

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