ISTANBUL

At least 74 on-duty soldiers have been arrested across Turkey as part of a probe into Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup attempt, the judicial sources said on Friday.

The arrests came after Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office issued arrest warrants for 103 on-duty soldiers including colonels, lieutenant colonels and commanders, according to sources who asked not to be named, due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Police squads conducted simultaneous operations in 32 provinces including Istanbul to nab the suspects, who were accused of communicating with other suspected FETO members over pay-phones and land-line telephones.

The search for others is underway.

According to the Turkish government, the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 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 Muhammed Enes Can:Writing by Nilay Kar