Turkey to detain 219 soldiers, target financing of Gulen supporters – report

Turkish prosecutors ordered the arrest of 219 soldiers with suspected links to the US-based Muslim preacher accused of orchestrating a failed coup in 2016, Anadolu reported on Friday. Police have conducted a steady stream of raids against alleged supporters of the preacher Fethullah Gulen since the coup attempt in July 2016. Gulen denies involvement. On the orders of the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office, an operation was reportedly launched at 2200 GMT to seize the suspects, all soldiers on active service including four colonels. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that Ankara would start new initiatives abroad to target the financing of Gulen supporters, according to Reuters.