December 19, 2017•Update: December 19, 2017
By Sibel Ugurlu
ANKARA
At least 27 suspects were arrested across Turkey on Tuesday for suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind last year’s defeated coup, according to security officials.
In the northeastern Edirne province, Turkish border guards intercepted a bus carrying 15 FETO-linked suspects in the border village of Ipsala. A human trafficker was also arrested along with the suspects, who were accused of using a smartphone messaging application, ByLock.
ByLock is an encrypted smartphone messaging app used by FETO members before and during last year's defeated coup attempt.
In another northwestern province of Kirklareli, nine suspects were arrested in five different provinces after Kirklareli Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an operation.
The suspects were accused of using ByLock and having accounts at Bank Asya, a lender affiliated with FETO which recently declared bankruptcy.
An Indonesian national, who was so-called head of students in Indonesia, was arrested in the central Kirsehir province.
A former soldier was arrested over FETO links in central Kirsehir province, while a lawyer was arrested in the Black Sea province of Zonguldak.
FETO and its U.S.-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, particularly the military, police and judiciary.
