15 FETO suspects arrested across Turkey

ANKARA 

Fifteen suspects were arrested during anti-terror operations across Turkey for their alleged links to the Fetullah Terror Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup attempt, according to a judicial source on Monday.

The arrests came after the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued arrest warrants for 25 FETO suspects, including ex-colonels and lieutenant colonels, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity said.

As part of its probe into FETO’s “Air Force Command” structure, the suspects have been accused of downloading the FETO terror group’s encrypted messaging app ByLock on their mobile phones.

According to the government, FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

Reporting by Sertac Bulur:Writing by Nilay Kar