Dozens of FETO suspects arrested across Turkey

ANKARA

At least 97 suspects linked to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) were arrested during simultaneous police raids across Turkey, according to judicial sources on Monday.

Some 46 arrests came after the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in Ankara issued warrants for 86 FETO suspects, including for 25 serving colonels and 47 suspended colonels of the Turkish Land Forces Command, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said.

Later, one of the colonels on active duty was arrested in the northwestern Edirne province as part of the raids carried out in 15 provinces.

Another 14 arrest warrants were issued in the Black Sea province of Bolu for two suspended teachers, and 12 students and alumni of the Abant Izzet Baysal University.

The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in Bolu issued the warrants after the suspects were accused of using ByLock, an encrypted cellphone app used by the terror group.

Police operations to detain the remaining suspects continue, the source said.

Since Istanbul prosecutors issued warrants for 300 soldiers on Friday as part of a probe into FETO's infiltration of the military, police have arrested 200 of them. Of those against whom the warrants have been issued, 211 are active-duty soldiers.

Fifteen other FETO suspects were arrested during a raid by the chief public prosecutors’ office in the central Tokat province.

Nine others, among them on-duty soldiers, were arrested as part of a raid conducted in the central Sivas province.

In the western Bursa province, 18 suspended police officers and eight others, all Bylock users, were arrested.

FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup on 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, especially the military, police, and judiciary.

Reporting by Aylin Sarikli:Writing by Kubra Chohan