By Omer Sut

IZMIR, Turkey

Turkish police have arrested the brother of Fetullah Gulen, accused by the government of plotting the July 15 deadly coup attempt.

Kutbettin Gulen was detained in Turkey’s western Izmir province on charges of "being member of an armed terrorist organization".

Anti-terror police started searching for him in the Gaziemir district of the province after receiving intelligence the suspect was staying at a relative's house.

Previously, Kutbettin Gulen was dismissed from a printing house operating under Kaynak Holding after the state appointed trustees to the company in 2015 for its links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

Led by Fetullah Gulen, FETO is accused of organizing the defeated coup as well as a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.

Turkey has repeatedly asked the U.S. to extradite Fetullah Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999.