Turkey today detained prominent journalists and two top generals serving abroad in a widening of the relentless legal crackdown after the July 15 coup that has caused growing alarm in the West.
The coup, which tried to unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan but lost momentum within hours, has sent shockwaves through all aspects of life in Turkey which are still being felt almost two weeks on.
Over 13,000 people have been detained and tens of thousands more have lost their jobs over the coup, which the Turkish authorities blame on the reclusive Pennsylvania-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen.
The crackdown and announcement of a three-month state of emergency has prompted sharp exchanges with the European Union, which Turkey has for years sought to join but which has sternly warned Ankara to obey the rule of law.
In a sign of the shifting priorities in Turkish diplomacy after the coup, Erdogan will visit Russia in August to repair ties harmed by a row over the shooting down of a Russian warplane, officials said.
Turkish authorities detained veteran female journalist Nazli Ilicak as part of the investigation into the coup after issuing arrest warrants for over 42 reporters a day earlier in a move that caused international concern.
She was detained early today during a traffic check in the southwestern Bodrum region, the state-run Anadolu news agency said. Ilicak is now being taken to Istanbul where she will later appear in court to learn if she will be remanded in custody.
According to the Dogan news agency, eight of the 42 journalists have now been detained including Ilicak and the former pro-Gulen Zaman newspaper writer Hanim Busra Erdal who was picked up in the western city of Manisa.
Meanwhile, two Turkish generals serving in Afghanistan were detained in Dubai on suspicion of links to the failed coup, an official said. Major General Mehmet Cahit Bakir, the commander of Turkey's task force in Afghanistan, and Brigadier General Sener Topuc were detained at Dubai airport, said the official, who asked not to be named.
The detentions followed cooperation between the Turkish National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) and the UAE authorities, the state-run Anadolu news agency added, saying the pair were now being brought to Turkey.
In a separate development, the former governor of Istanbul Huseyin Avni Mutlu was held in the coup investigation, Anadolu said. Two senior foreign ministry diplomats -- Gurcan Balik and Tuncay Babali -- have been also removed from their posts, a Turkish official said.
The government says the stringent measures are needed to clear out the influence of Gulen from Turkey's institutions, claiming he has created a "parallel state" inside Turkey.
Gulen -- who lives in a compound in rural Pennsylvania and whose foundation runs a global network of schools, charities and media interests -- has strongly denied the accusations.
Published 26 July 2016, 13:35 IST