Over 160 suspects held across Turkey in anti-FETO raids

By Salih Baran and Tanju Ozkaya

EDIRNE, Turkey (AA) - Over 160 suspected members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) were detained in operations launched across Turkey on Wednesday, according to police and gendarme sources.

A total of 100 suspects were held in a police operation in Ankara for allegedly using the ByLock mobile application, which authorities believe FETO members used during the July 15, 2016, defeated coup. Among those held were 21 former personnel of education and development ministries.

The police raid in the capital was part of an ongoing FETO probe launched by the Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office, according to a police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

The operation was carried out in the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality and district municipalities of Kecioren, Sincan and Kahramankazan.

Also, 20 FETO suspects were detained in southeastern Diyarbakir province. Earlier, the regional public prosecutor’s office had issued arrest warrants for 34 FETO suspects.

As part of the anti-FETO operation, 38 suspects were detained in 24 other provinces, the source said.

A former teacher and ex-gendarme leiutenant were arrested in eastern Malatya province as part of the FETO probe, the regional governor’s office said in a statement.

Moreover, four FETO suspects, who were said to be on the run from authorities, were nabbed from northwestern Edirne province, a gendarme source said.

A court had issued arrest warrants for the suspects, which included a university student, the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on talking to the media, said.

According to the Turkish government, the FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 2016, which left 249 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara has said FETO is behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.