Operations conducted to detain 41 Istanbul Technical University academics over Gülen links

Detention warrants were issued on Jan. 20 for 41 academics at Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ) over alleged links to the Gülen network, after the suspects were identified as users of the Bylock application.

After the warrant, simultaneous operations began in 10 provinces to apprehend the suspects. 

Bylock is an encrypted messaging application said to have been used by members of the movement loyal to the U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, accused of orchestrating the July 2016 coup attempt. 

In a major Bylock operation in the army on Jan. 19, police apprehended 95 personnel of the Turkish Armed Forces. 

Their detention came one day after the Istanbul 9th criminal court of peace issued an arrest warrant for 243 military personnel in 54 provinces across Turkey over their alleged links to the coup attempt.

In a recent group of operations on Turkish academics over alleged Gülen links, prosecutors on Dec. 15, 2016 arrested seven academics from the Yıldız Technical University. Those arrested were among the 103 academic personnel of Yıldız Technical University whose detentions were sought.