ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s state-run news agency says an Istanbul court has ordered 11 more police officers formally arrested and jailed pending trial for allegedly illegally wiretapping Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other officials.
The Anadolu Agency says the officers were jailed early Wednesday, raising the number of officers formally detained for illegal wiretaps to 31.
The policemen were among dozens policemen detained on July 22 in raids on their homes.
The government says the officers are associated with a moderate Islamic movement led by a U.S.-based cleric, which it accuses of attempting to topple the government. It says the movement is behind a corruption probe against four former government ministers and a series of leaked recordings suggesting corruption by Erdogan and family members.
The cleric, Fethullah Gulen, has denied any involvement.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
