Turkish courts have placed 32,000 suspects under arrest ahead of trial on charges of links to a group run by US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is blamed for the July 15 coup, Turkish Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdag said yesterday.
Bozdag told NTV that 70,000 people had been investigated after the coup and 32,000 of them were remanded into custody.
“This process is continuing,” the minister said.
The numbers of those arrested marks an increase of more than 10,000 from those previously given by the government.
Bozdag said that there could be new arrests, while some of those arrested could still be freed under judicial control or freed entirely.
About two-and-a-half months after the coup attempt aimed at ousting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan led to a crackdown unprecedented in Turkey’s modern history, there is still no indication as to when trials might start.
The trials of tens of thousands are to be the biggest legal process in Turkey’s history and are expected to put the system under unprecedented pressure.
Bozdag said that trials would take place in cities across the country and not in one single venue.
He said there was no need to create a special trial venue in Istanbul, as capacity was sufficient.
However, he said one was needed in Ankara and work is taking place for a trial venue in Sincan, outside the capital.
“People are not going to be put on trial in just one place, but trials will take place in all of Turkey,” he said.
Turkey’s Western allies have expressed concern over the magnitude of the crackdown, but Ankara has insisted that the rule of law is being observed.
Gulen, 75, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the US since 1999, has denied that he was linked to the coup in any way.
US officials have told their Turkish counterparts that they would respond within a couple of days to Turkey’s demand to arrest Gulen, Bozdag said.
Turkey wants the US to extradite Gulen, who resides in Pennsylvania, and prosecute him on charges he masterminded the attempt to overthrow the government on July 15.
Washington has said it is cooperating with Ankara on the matter and asked its NATO ally for patience as it processes the extradition request for Gulen to meet US legal requirements.
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