War with Imam Gulen: Police detain 35 people linked to Erdogan's sworn enemy

At least 35 people were detained on Tuesday in Turkey as part of a judicial investigation opened in Izmir against Imam Fethullah Gulen, the sworn enemy of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, local media reported, according to the Patria news agency.

The operation was carried out in 18 provinces across the country and led to the arrest of police officers and political officials suspected of "possessing military and confidential documents," the Dogan news agency stated.

It was launched two days after Erdogan's AK Party won a landslide victory in Sunday's parliamentary elections, regaining the absolute majority of seats in parliament that it had lost five months earlier.

The Turkish president declared war on Imam Gulen in late 2013 during a corruption scandal that involved several people close to him. Erdogan accuses his former ally, who from the United States runs an influential network of schools, non-governmental organizations and businesses, of establishing a "parallel state" to overthrow him.

For nearly two years, Turkey's most powerful politician has been carrying out judicial prosecutions and purges against supporters of Imam Gulen.