Turkey freezes assets of 770 individuals and a U.S.-based foundation

FILE PHOTO: U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen at his home in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 10, 2017. REUTERS/Charles Mostoller/File Photo

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey has frozen the assets of a total of 770 people and a U.S.-based foundation on the grounds of terrorism financing, a ruling published in its official gazette showed on Friday.

Chicago-based Niagara Foundation's assets were frozen because of links with the U.S. based cleric Fethullah Gulen, accused by Turkey of staging a coup attempt in 2016.

The assets of more than 400 people were frozen for links to Gulen, the gazette said.

This step was taken on the basis of reasonable grounds that they had committed the acts covered by the articles titled "the crime of financing of terrorism" and "acts prohibited from providing or collecting funds," it added.

Assets of more than 200 individuals accused of links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party and Islamic State militant groups were also frozen, according to the decision.

(Writing by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)