Saudi Arabia arrests 16 Turks over suspected FETO links

By Sertac Bulur

ANKARA (AA) - Sixteen Turkish citizens suspected of being Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) members were arrested in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

The detainees, who allegedly organized Hajj pilgrimage events in Saudi Arabia, transferring the income to FETO, were put on a plane and deported to Turkey, according to the Turkish sources who asked not to be named due to restrictions on talking to the media.

Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) played an active role in the arrests of the suspects, the source said.

Later, the suspects were detained in Turkey by Ankara police department's counterterrorism units.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen are accused of orchestrating the defeated July 2016 coup in Turkey, which left 249 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara has said FETO is also behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary, and has also accused it of infiltrating other countries through educational institutions, among others.

The Hajj ritual is the "fifth pillar" of the Islamic faith, one that must be performed by Muslims -- if financially viable -- at least once in their lifetime.