Warrants out for nearly 100 judiciary staff in Istanbul

By Filiz Kinik and Mustafa Hatipoglu

ISTANBUL (AA) – The chief public prosecutor’s office in Istanbul issued arrest warrants for around 100 members of the judiciary Thursday as part of a probe into the Fetullah Terrorist Organization, a police source told Anadolu Agency.

Police teams had arrived at the Istanbul Anadolu Palace of Justice, a large judicial complex which houses several courts and offices of prosecutors, in the morning to nab the suspects. Some judiciary personnel were detained on the spot and sent to the Istanbul Police Department.

Police also searched rooms of suspects, including court clerks and ushers, also examined their computers.

Turkey's government has said the defeated coup, which left over 240 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured, was organized by followers of Fetullah Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania since 1999, and his FETO network.

Gulen is also accused of a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as "the parallel state".