ISTANBUL, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police detained 11 people on Tuesday in coordinated raids across Istanbul and Kocaeli, targeting what authorities described as the "student wing" of the Gulen movement, which Ankara accuses of masterminding a failed coup in 2016.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said in a statement that the suspects were allegedly involved in organizing programs aimed at indoctrinating primary and secondary school students with the movement's ideology.
According to the statement, children were placed by their families in residences or under the care of individuals linked to the group, participating in activities including camping trips, movie outings, and other excursions.
The Turkish government classifies the Gulen movement as a terrorist organization and holds it responsible for the July 15, 2016 coup attempt, in which more than 250 people were killed. The movement was led by Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, who lived in self-imposed exile in the United States until his death in 2024.
In the years since the failed coup, Turkish authorities have arrested thousands of suspects accused of links to the Gulen movement. ■
