Over 100 soldiers detained in Turkey concerning Gulen Movement case

Ankara: 112 soldiers have been arrested for connection with the Gulen Movement, which had conspired a coup against President Erdogan back in 2016. Metin Gürcan, the political rival of President Erdogan, has also been detained. President Erdogan has been accused of acting against his opponent because of the annual meeting of Interpol to be held in Turkey.

Five years ago, a coup against President Erdogan was conspired, which failed. President Erdogan had accused Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, based in the US, of planning this coup. 3,338 people were arrested, including political leaders, government officials, teachers, professionals, students, and former Turkish defence officials. In the last two years, this case has been relatively low profiled.

But over the past two days, Turkish security forces have cracked down on 112 people in 22 provinces. This includes 15 officers and 32 veterans of the ranks of colonel and major in the Turkish military and 65 graduates from military schools. Turkish authorities have claimed that all those arrested or issued warrants were linked to the Gulen movement, calling for a political uprising against President Erdogan. A few more people are expected to be arrested in the case.

Metin Gürcan, one of the founders of the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA), was previously arrested for the failed coup. He is a political rival of President Erdogan and has been accused of political espionage. He is a retired member of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and a security analyst. Metin Gürcan has once again been detained. President Erdogan has been criticised for cracking down on political opponents.

Moreover, Turkey is going through turmoil and the popularity of President Erdogan has been dwindling. President Erdogan’s misguided economic policies and autocratic approach are being blamed for the current situation. The Turkish currency Lira has hit an all-time low attributed to aggressive cuts in the interest rates. 64% of Turkish citizens believe that President Erdogan cannot get Turkey out of the financial crisis. The Lira exchange rate against the US dollar has reached 12, which was 11 just four days back. The depreciating currency has led inflation to soar by 20%. Citizens are criticising Erdogan for not managing and leading the country well. Political opponents are calling for early elections. The recent action from President Erdogan of detaining opponents is a signal that he is not willing to relinquish power yet.