Senior FETO operative arrested in Istanbul

By Halil Demir

ISTANBUL (AA) - A senior FETO operative, who was formerly an intelligence bureau director at police headquarters, arrested in Istanbul, a security source said on Wednesday.

Mehmet Fecri Yildiz, a former chief of technical branch at intelligence department of police headquarters, was arrested in a counter-terrorism operation in Istanbul, said the source, who wished to remain anonymous due to restrictions to talking to the media.

Erkan Ince, a former human resources manager at Turkish Armed Forces, and Selim Bulut, a member of Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) and a user of terror group’s encrypted cellphone app ByLock were also arrested, the source said.

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.