MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Turkish Interior Ministry announced that it would reinstate over 700 police officers removed over suspected links to the movement of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, which Turkey refers as the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and blames for the 2016 coup attempt, local media reported.
According to the Anadolu news agency, a total of 734 police officers will be reinstated.
On July 15, 2016, a military coup attempt took place in Turkey. It was suppressed the following day, leaving over 240 people killed and an estimated 2,000 were wounded. After Turkey faced the attempted military takeover a year ago, Ankara accused Gulen, who has been living in the US state of Pennsylvania since 1999, and his followers of playing a key role in the coup attempt. The cleric has refuted the allegations.
Since the thwarted coup, Turkey has arrested hundreds of military personnel, activists and journalists on suspicion of having links to Gulen.
