TURKISH police swooped to arrest more than a dozen people, including leading academics from two Istanbul universities, in the early hours of this morning in a crackdown on human rights activists.

Arrest warrants were issued for 20 people as part of state investigations into the Andalou Kultur (Anatolian Culture) organisation in advance of yesterday’s dawn raids with Professor Betul Tanbay, of Bogazici University, and Professor Turgut Tarhanli among those held.

They are accused of links with the jailed Armenian rights activist Osman Kavala, the chair of Andalou Kultur, who has been held in detention since October 2017. 

Mr Kavala is accused of “attempting to remove the constitutional order” and “attempting to overthrow the government“ following the failed coup attempt of 2016.

Turkey has no formal diplomatic relations with Armenia and continues to deny the genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire, during which around 1.5 million Armenians were exterminated. 

Mr Kavala campaigns for the killings to be recognised as a genocide and is often branded a Turkish George Soros by pro-government media.

Those held are accused of working with Mr Kavala “to spread the Gezi Park events” and “bring chaos and mayhem” across the country to bring down the government, using Andalou Kultur and other organisations to finance and support the events.

A statement from the Istanbul Security Directorate confirmed the detainees were being held on allegations they “brought activism trainers, moderators and professional protestors from abroad (such as Standing Man, Man Playing the Piano, Woman in Red) to maintain the continuity of Gezi Park incidents under the titles of Civil Disobedience and Nonviolent Protest.”

The arrests were anticipated by some with People’s Democratic Party MP and journalist Ahmet Sik saying “a week ago the gutter press gave the signal flare of the operation” with a headline claiming “Osman Kavala wanted to spread the Gezi events to Anatolia.”

The move came as the Turkish government offered 24,000 Turkish lira (about £3,500) a month to try and lure scientists and academics back to the country in an effort to stem a so-called “brain drain.”

However many academics have fled the country in fear after thousands were purged from their posts and branded terrorists for signing a peace petition asking for government-backed negotiations to recommence to solve the Kurdish question.

Erol BIlecik, president of the Turkish Industry and Business Association, said: “It is very sad to begin the day when we talk about the return of our scientists to our country. We owe the abundance of the land we live on to our culture, which has been a refuge throughout the ages of science. If we deny it, we will never proceed.”