Arrest warrants issued for 34 soldiers involved in M?T trucks case

Arrest warrants were issued for 33 soldiers and one officer involved in the stopping of Turkish National Intelligence Agency (M?T) trucks in Turkey?s southeastern provinces of Adana and Hatay in January 2014, within a probe into the state-officials who conducted the ?Selam-Tevhid? investigation, which was put away with a nonsuit decision in 2014.

An Istanbul prosecutor ordered the detention of 34 soldiers April 5 on charges of being a member of a terror organization and attempting to topple the Turkish Republic?s government or prevent it from performing its duties.

An operation was launched in eight provinces, including Istanbul, Hatay and Adana, for the detainment of the military personnel who had been issued arrest warrants.

Last year, a crisis erupted after M?T trucks bound for Syria were stopped and searched by the authorities on Jan. 1, 2014, in the southern province of Hatay. Another group of trucks was searched by the gendarmerie in the southern province of Adana on Jan. 19.

The ?Selam-Tevhid? organization was accused of wiretapping senior government figures, including the prime minister, the head of the M?T and cabinet ministers.

Eleven police officers, including Istanbul?s former anti-terror department police chief Yurt Atayün, were arrested in the first operation against the organization, which was reportedly launched in late July 2014.

In February 2015, the prosecution extended its operation and ordered the detention of 29 more police officers, 17 of whom were found guilty of forming, managing or joining a terrorist organization, political or military espionages and attempting to overthrow the government or preventing it from doing its duties.