Istanbul court orders arrest of 22 FETO suspects

By Muhammed Enes Can

ISTANBUL (AA) - An Istanbul court ordered the arrest of nearly two-dozen active-duty soldiers Wednesday for their alleged links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey.

Judicial sources said Istanbul prosecutors last week issued arrest warrants of 41 soldiers, including officers.

Istanbul Criminal Court of Peace ordered Wednesday 22 soldiers at the Istanbul gendarmerie arrested for "being members of armed terrorist organization."

The court released two suspects with judicial control and the remaining 17 were released with a travel ban against leaving the country.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader, Fetullah Gulen, is accused of orchestrating 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.