Turkey has ordered the arrest of hundreds of businessmen and detained an executive of one of the largest conglomerates in the country as part of government measures to "purge" the persons suspected of having links with the clergyman who would be responsible for the alleged attempt coup last year, writes the Financial Times.
Over 380 businessmen and executives would have supported the imam that President Erdogan accuses of being behind the coup attempt. Prosecutors have issued warrants for their arrest after they found evidence that they would be financially supported by Fethullah Gulen, an imam who was self-exile from Turkey. Recep Tayyip Erdogan believes that as the author of the shadow of the alleged coup attempt last July, is Gulen, writes Andalou Agency state media in Turkey.
Separately, police detained Erem Turgut Yücel, one of the top executives from Dogan Holding, which owns the newspaper Hurriyet. Uzdiyen Yahya, former CEO of Dogan, also was detained.The government has already seized assets of hundreds of businessmen in a "cleansing" against "gulenit" suspects. Since the attempted coup, more than 100,000 people were laid off and 30,000 arrested, including teachers, security personnel, army officers, opposition politicians and journalists.
The new wave of detentions comes as Turkey faces challenges on many fronts, and could damage investor confidence in the economy stronger. Turkish economy has contracted for the first time in seven years in the third quarter, partly due to low confidence and damage the country's image in the eyes of investors.
The country was also the target of a wave of terrorist attacks, claimed by ISIS, including the most recent New Year's Eve massacre where 39 people were killed in a nightclub in Istanbul.
