Turkey: Arrest warrants issued for 70 FETO suspects

KONYA, Turkey

A Turkish prosecutor issued arrest warrants for 70 people with suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) on Thursday.

As part of a central Konya province-based investigation into the terror group’s structure within the military, arrest warrants have been issued for 70 on-duty soldiers and “imams” -- suspected senior figures within FETO responsible for coordinating cells within the armed forces -- in 38 provinces, according to a statement by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

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 Savas Guler; Writing by Kubra Chohan