Turkey detains 10 foreigners in coup crackdown

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish authorities have detained at least 10 foreign nationals suspected of ties to a U.S.-based cleric whom Turkey accuses of masterminding the July 15 failed coup, a senior official said Monday.

At least four of them were formally arrested pending trial while a fifth person was released, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.

Turkey’s government launched a sweeping crackdown targeting followers of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused of being behind the coup attempt by renegade soldiers within the military.

The scope of the crackdown has alarmed European countries and rights groups, who have urged restraint, triggering criticism by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who has angrily complained of a lack of support from Turkey’s allies.

Kurtulmus, citing police figures, said as many as 5 million people had attended the rally, which he described as a strong expression by the Turkish people of their demand that Gulen be returned to Turkey to face trial.