ANKARA, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Turkish authorities launched on Friday an investigation into Maydonoz Doner, a doner kebab restaurant chain with 390 branches, over alleged ties to the Gulen movement.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on social media platform X that 353 suspects, including 10 public officials, were detained in operations carried out across 31 cities.

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.

Investigators reportedly found that the doner kebab chain facilitated domestic and international money transfers to support the organization.

The Financial Crimes Investigation Board had been monitoring the company for some time, and a court has now appointed the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) as a trustee for 21 companies operating under the Maydonoz Doner brand, the TMSF said in a statement.

Authorities revealed that the chain operated on a franchise model and allegedly granted official partnerships to individuals linked to the movement in exchange for payments, said the statement.

Yerlikaya said that the company only allowed new partners with references from the movement, calling the system "reference-based growth".

He added that these restaurant branches were used to provide employment and financial resources for the Gulen movement-linked individuals, who also collected "donations" from them.

Yerlikaya also noted that Maydonoz Doner had been expanding its franchise network abroad, facilitating international money transfers. Prosecutors have now launched an investigation into those involved. Enditem

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