Turkish prosecutors on Tuesday ordered the detention of a total of 108 people over their suspected links to a network believed to be behind a failed coup d’etat in 2016.

Local media reported that anti-terrorism teams in many provinces have carried out an operation to capture the suspects upon prosecutors’ orders in Ankara and Istanbul.

The state-run Anadolu agency said prosecutors have been accusing 24 suspects of contacting the network members headed by the U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen via payphones.

It added that among the suspects were an on-duty colonel, majors, captains, an officer dismissed from the military, and a retired colonel.

Meanwhile, 40 suspects were reportedly accused of providing financial aid to the group, and 44 others of having alleged links to the group’s structure within the Gendarmerie Command.

So far, 53 of them were detained, and operations are underway to capture the rest.

The Turkish government blamed Gulen and his network for masterminding the coup bid in July 2016, in which 250 people were killed, and has been pushing for his extradition. 

(Xinhua/NAN)