ANKARA, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police have arrested 71 suspects over their alleged ties to the Gulen movement, according to the country's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya on Friday.

The suspects were arrested during recent operations across 23 provinces, including Istanbul, western Izmir, Balikesir, and southern Adana and Hatay provinces, Yerlikaya said, without specifying the timing of the operations.

The raids, conducted by provincial police departments and intelligence officers, also seized dozens of organizational documents and digital materials, he said.

The suspects were wanted for serving the Gulen network still active in Türkiye. They communicated with each other using payphones and utilized ByLock, an encrypted messaging app developed and used by the organization, he added.

The suspects also include convicted fugitives and those who were named in testimonies as part of investigations against the Gulen network, according to the Turkish minister.

The Gulen movement, once led by Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen, who passed away in October 2024 in the United States, has been accused by the Turkish government of masterminding a coup attempt in 2016, which resulted in the deaths of over 250 people. Enditem

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