Army captain linked to coup bid detained in Istanbul

By Mehmet Ali Derdiyok and Halil Demir

ISTANBUL (AA) – An army captain was taken into custody in Istanbul on Wednesday in connection with a probe into the July 15 coup attempt, a police source told Anadolu Agency.

Captain Metin Mustafa Atesoglu is suspected of being one of the soldiers who had entered the state-run Turkish broadcaster TRT in Istanbul on the night of the foiled coup, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said.

Atesoglu was held in Istanbul for his alleged links to the Fetullah Terror Organization. He was later presented before a court in Istanbul, the source added.

On July 15, coup plotters had taken control of the TRT broadcaster and forced an anchorwoman to read a statement on their behalf to declare the military takeover.

Turkey's government said the defeated July 15 coup, which left 240 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured, was organized by followers of Fetullah Gulen, who has lived in a self-imposed exile in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania since 1999.

Gulen is accused of leading a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as the “parallel state”.