|
CNN Turk said Irtegun, a former Fenerbahce and
Basaksehir defender, is accused of being a sympathizer of
U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara blames for
orchestrating the abortive coup.
The footballer was detained by police for allegedly using
ByLock, an encrypted messaging app the government says was used
by Gulen's network, which the government calls FETO and
considers a terrorist organization, CNN Turk said.
Reuters was not immediately able to reach Irtegun and Turkish
officials were not immediately available for comment.
Irtegun's contract with last season's runners-up Basaksehir was
canceled in the off-season, and the player was barred from
leaving Turkey earlier this year, the news report said.
Irtegun provided Turkish authorities with the names of the
people he had been in contact with over Bylock, and later turned
himself in at Istanbul police headquarters, CNN Turk said.
The 33-year-old had stints at Gaziantepspor, Fenerbahce and also
played for Turkey, both in the youth and regular squads.
Since the failed putsch, some 150,000 people have been sacked or
suspended and more than 50,000 detained, alarming Turkey's
Western allies and rights groups, who say President Tayyip
Erdogan is using the coup as a pretext to muzzle dissent.
The government, however, says the measures are necessary due to
the gravity of the threats it faces.
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
