13 FETO-linked suspects arrested across Turkey

By Halil Demir

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish security forces arrested Tuesday 13 suspects over alleged links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey.

The suspects were arrested for allegedly using ByLock, an encrypted smartphone app used by FETO members in Istanbul-based operations across 10 provinces.

The arrests came after the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul issued arrest warrants for 26 suspects.

According to the Turkish government, 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.