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Turkish police detains 100 members of Gulen's Movement

Xinhua, April 19, 2016 Adjust font size:

Turkish police on Monday detained 100 members of a movement led by U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen in an operation launched in nine provinces, the Istanbul prosecutor office said.

The detainees will be charged of "being a member and financing Fethullah Gulen Terror Organization/Parallel State Structure," read a statement posted on the website of the Istanbul Anadolu chief public prosecutor office.

Of those detained, 41 were employees of Bank Asia which was run by Gulen but closed by police last year, the statement said.

The statement added that the prosecutors have issued arrest warrants against a total of 140 people including prominent businessmen.

Relations between Gulen and Tayyip Erdogan soured after Turkey's judiciary and police, allegedly under the former's control, launched a corruption probe into government officials in December 2013 including Erdogan and his family members.

Since then Erdogan and the ruling Justice and Development Party have been conducting a broad crackdown on Gulen and his supporters, accusing them of establishing a parallel state and a terrorist organization. Endit