ANKARA – Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag says Turkey’sintelligence agency has snatched at least 80 Turkish nationals wanted fortheir alleged links to the 2016 failed coup, in operations in 18 countries.

Bozdag’s comments during a television interview on Thursday came afterTurkey secretly arranged the deportation from Kosovo of six Turkish menaccused of supporting the coup attempt, sparking the dismissal of Kosovo’sinterior minister and intelligence chief and criticism from human rightsgroups.

Bozdag did not name the countries. He said such operations would continue.

Turkey accuses US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen of masterminding the 2016failed coup. Gulen denies the accusation. Those deported from Kosovo workedin schools and clinics supported by Gulen’s movement.

Turkey has arrested more than 38,000 people for links to Gulen and firedsome 110,000 public servants.