Turkey detains 72 university staff

Police in Turkey have detained 72 people, including academics, for alleged links to a US-based Muslim cleric.

Turkey has issued arrest warrants for 72 university staff, state media says.

The arrests include a former adviser to the main opposition leader who staged a mass rally on Sunday to protest against a crackdown since a failed military coup last year.

The warrants were issued under an investigation into the movement of the US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused of orchestrating the attempted coup on July 15, state-run Anadolu news agency reports.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the secularist CHP, told a huge crowd on Sunday Turkey was living under dictatorship and pledged to keep challenging the government after completing a 25-day protest march from Ankara to Istanbul.

About 50,000 people have been arrested and 150,000 state workers including teachers, judges and soldiers, have been suspended in the crackdown under emergency rule which was imposed soon after the attempted military takeover.


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Source: AAP


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