8 Police Officers Detained Regarding Alleged Conspiracy Against Tahşiyeciler

In a third wave of operations concerning claims of a conspiracy against a group affiliated with al-Qaeda, eight police officers from five provinces, some high-ranked, were detained early on Sunday, in a move widely considered to be part of an ongoing government crackdown on the police force.

The detention took place as part of a criminal investigation overseen by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding allegations of a conspiracy against a group called Tahşiyeciler, which is known to be involved in illegal activities. The detained police officers are accused of fabricating evidence and conspiring against the group. The detainees were taken to the Counterterrorism Unit of the İstanbul Police Department for interrogation.

The government's crackdown on the police began on July 22, 2014, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, with raids on the homes of officers during the suhur (a pre-dawn meal eaten before the day's fast begins).

On June 17, an operation was launched against 20 police officers in 16 provinces who had taken part in a probe against Tahşiyeciler, despite the existence of intelligence reports from state agencies showing this group's involvement in illegal activities.

Most Turks became acquainted with Tahşiyeciler following a police operation on Dec. 14 of last year, during which 30 people were detained, including the editor-in-chief of the Zaman daily, Ekrem Dumanlı, and Samanyolu Broadcasting Group CEO Hidayet Karaca.

According to the government-orchestrated investigation, the case was built on charges of defaming Tahşiyeciler. The prosecutor conducting the investigation claimed that by covering police raids on this group in 2010, the journalists had defamed the suspects, including the leader of Tahşiyeciler, Mehmet Doğan. Police raided the homes and offices of 112 people across Turkey and discovered three hand grenades, one smoke bomb, seven handguns, 18 hunting rifles, electronic parts for explosives, knives and a large cache of ammunition.

The government began targeting members of the police force across Turkey, using various pretexts, after police publicly exposed investigations into corruption, implicating four then-ministers and others in government circles, on Dec. 17 and 25, 2013.

(Cihan/Today's Zaman)