3 March 2017, 11:20 GMT
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Several holders of Turkish diplomatic passports have asked for asylum in Switzerland, Swiss media report.
The exact number of asylum applicants remains unclear and the authorities of both Turkey and Switzerland have refrained from comments, the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper said on Wednesday.
In July 2016, a military coup attempt took place in Turkey with Ankara having accused Turkish national Fethullah Gulen, a cleric who has been living in the United States since 1999, for orchestrating the failed coup.
In the aftermath of the coup attempt, police detained more than 75,000 people, the majority of whom were accused of ties to the Gulen movement.
Last week, the US Department of State said in its 2016 human rights report that Turkey violates laws against arbitrary arrest and detention in its pursuit of the Gulen movement participants.
