UPDATES WITH 23 OTHERS REMANDED OVER FETO LINKS IN DIYARBAKIR-BASED OPERATION
By Sertac Bulur, Cankut Tasdan, and Hasan Namli
ANKARA (AA) - At least 57 people were arrested Wednesday in the Turkish capital for allegedly being linked to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind last year’s defeated coup, according to a police source.
The arrests came after prosecutors in Ankara issued warrants for 87 suspected members of the group, said the source on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.
During the operations, Ankara's anti-terror branch units raided 65 different locations across the city, which were said to be used as hideouts to carry out organizational activities and hold secret meetings.
Selman Gulen, a nephew of the group's U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen, and some fugitive senior members --so-called “imams” -- are among the detainees, the source said, adding that police are still looking for the remaining 30 suspects.
FETO and Gulen orchestrated the July 15, 2016, defeated coup attempt in Turkey, which martyred 250 people and left 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.
- Suspected ByLock users
Separately, 23 people were remanded in custody Wednesday across Turkey over alleged links to FETO, according to a judicial source.
Prosecutors in the southeastern Diyarbakir province previously issued warrants for 66 suspected members of the group, said the source on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.
The arrests were conducted in 26 provinces across Turkey, and all the suspects are accused of using the ByLock smartphone app, according to the source.
The Diyarbakir court released 42 people, of whom 37 are under judicial supervision, the source said.
Another suspect is still wanted, according to the source.
The encrypted app was allegedly used by FETO members during last year’s defeated coup.