Deciphered FETO messages reveal 'new instructions'

By Kemal Karadag

ANKARA (AA) - Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup, has reportedly given its followers new instructions to stay undercover to evade detection by police.

According to the message contents obtained by Anadolu Agency, FETO members were recently ordered through an encrypted mobile messaging app called Falcon to take measures against police operations and find new hideouts.

If they think they would be confronted by police, the members were ordered to destroy their cell phones. "Our first priority is to destroy mobile phones in a difficult situation," one of the messages read.

The group, which has also developed various measures against police follow-ups, told its followers traveling by private cars to be mindful of being chased by police.

The group members were also told to avoid making phone calls, or staying at places with their tablets or smart phones on, according to the messages.

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.