By Mustafa Yildirim
IZMIR, Turkey (AA) - At least 28 people have been arrested across Turkey for suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup attempt, police sources said Friday.
The arrests came after prosecutors in the Aegean Izmir province issued warrants for 43 members of a FETO-linked NGO which was shut down in Turkey for supporting the terrorist group following the defeated coup bid.
Police rounded up 28 of the 43 suspects across Turkey. Raids were carried out in 11 provinces, including Izmir, said a source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on talking to the media.
The Fetullah Terrorist Organization and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of 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.