[VIDEO] 118 houses in Izmir raided, 72 people detained over Gülen links

Seventy-two people were detained in İzmir province on Sunday morning in a police operation targeting members of the faith-based Gülen movement, according to the T24 news website.

Members of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) along with counterterrorism police raided 118 houses as part of an investigation into people who are allegedly helping Gülen-linked suspects in jail. The prosecutor accuses them of paying the rent of their families and lending them moral support.

In late April, detention warrants were issued for 48 teachers who were former staff members of schools closed down by a state of emergency decree following a coup attempt on July 15, 2016.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government accuse the Gülen movement of masterminding the coup attempt. Despite the movement strongly denying involvement in the failed coup, Erdoğan launched a witch-hunt targeting the movement following the putsch.

More than 150,000 people have passed through police custody and 80,000 were remanded in pretrial detention over Gulen links since the summer of 2016.

This article originally appeared on Turkish Minute on May 6.

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