Turkey: Ex-lawmaker jailed over ByLock app released

By Yavuz Emrah Sever

YALOVA, Turkey

A former Turkish lawmaker imprisoned on suspicion of using the encrypted ByLock mobile app was released late Thursday.

Sukru Onder’s release follows an announcement that some alleged ByLock users had been unwittingly “directed” to the app.

The app is linked to the Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind last year’s failed coup attempt.

Investigators have discovered that 11,480 smartphone users were directed to the app without their knowledge, an official said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

They have been removed from an updated list of ByLock users passed to prosecutors across Turkey and courts have been told to reexamine cases.

was widely used by supporters of FETO, which orchestrated the July 15 coup attempt that left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.