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Turkey orders arrest of doctors in latest post-coup crackdown

Police enter Gulhane Military Medical Academy hospital in Ankara, in latest action against alleged coup plotters
President Erdogan blames the coup plot on Gulen and his supporters (AFP)

Turkey has issued arrest warrants for 100 staff, including doctors, at the main military hospital in Ankara as part of the investigation into last month's failed coup, local media reported.

Police were searching the Gulhane Military Medical Academy hospital in the capital, private NTV television reported. It was not immediately clear if any suspects had been arrested.

A Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to the AFP news agency that warrants had been issued, but did not give a specific number.

Turkey blames the coup attempt on the organisation of US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara accuses of running a group the government calls the "Fethullah Terror Organisation",  or FETO. 

Gulen denies the claims.

The official said that staff at the hospital were suspected of helping fast-track Gulen supporters into the military by giving them favourable medical reports.

"GATA is crucial because this is where fitness and health reports are issued," the official said.

"There is strong evidence suggesting FETO members infiltrated this institution to slow down the career progress of their rivals within the military and fast-track their supporters."

The warrants were issued a day after the Prime Minister Binali Yildirim admitted that some of the 19,000 people arrested so far had been unfairly treated.

"There must definitely be some among them who were subjected to unfair procedures," he said in comments published by state-run Anadolu news agency.

"We will make a distinction between those who are guilty and those who are not."

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus added: "If there are any mistakes, we will correct them." 

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