Turkey detains 9 colonels in north Cyprus for Gulen ties

ISTANBUL – Turkey’s state-run news agency says nine Turkish colonels have been detained in northern Cyprus as part of the investigation into the movement allegedly responsible for a failed coup in July.

The Anadolu Agency said the officers were detained Sunday as part of an investigation into the Gulen movement’s organization in the Turkish Cyprus Peace Forces and Security Forces Command, part of the Turkish Armed Forces.

Ankara accuses the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen of masterminding the violent coup attempt and has launched a sweeping purge of his followers, arresting 41,000 people and purging more than 100,000 from government jobs. Gulen denies the claims.

Earlier this week, top diplomats from Turkey, Greece and Britain met in Geneva to discuss ways of providing post-reunification security for the divided island of Cyprus.