Turkish prosecutors have ordered the arrest of over 200 military personnel for suspected links to a failed coup attempt in 2016, state media reported on December 14.
The Istanbul public prosecutor ordered arrest warrants for 219 soldiers on active duty including four colonels and five lieutenant colonels, state news agency Anadolu said.
The Turkish government has blamed U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen for the failed coup attempt during which 250 people were killed.
Gulen has denied any involvement in the coup.
Turkish authorities have detained over 50,000 people, including civil servants, journalists, and teachers in a crackdown on alleged Gulen supporters that followed the coup.
Tens of thousands of others have been fired or suspended in the immense purge.
Erdogan’s critics accuse him of using the failed coup as a pretext to quash dissent.
Turkish authorities say the measures are necessary to combat national security threats.
