Police search Istanbul courthouses as part of coup probe

ISTANBUL (AP) - Turkey's state-run news agency says police teams are conducting operations at three Istanbul courthouses as part of an investigation into the July 15 abortive coup.

Anadolu Agency said the Istanbul chief public prosecutor's office had issued a detention order for 173 personnel working at Istanbul's Caglayan, Bakirkoy and Gaziosmanpasa courthouses.

The moves are part of the government's ongoing investigation into the movement led by U.S.-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen. Ankara alleges Gulen was responsible for the violent coup attempt that left over 270 people dead.

Police entered the courthouses Monday morning to detain the suspects and conduct searches of their offices and computers, while other teams were searching their homes.

Four courthouse personnel were detained last week as part of the same investigation.