Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim’s chief advisor was detained over his suspected links to the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), widely believed to have been masterminded the July 15, 2016, failed coup attempt, Hurriyet Daily News reports. 

Yildirim’s chief advisor Birol Erdem, who was a justice ministry undersecretary previously, and his wife Gülümser Erdem were detained early on June 3 in Ankara as part of an investigation carried out by Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Erdem testified as witness as part of an investigation launched for the followers of the US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen last year.