Turkey: 120 FETO terror suspects arrested, sources say

By Mustafa Hatipoglu and Halil Demir

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish security forces on Tuesday arrested a total of 120 suspects linked to FETO, the terror group behind the failed coup attempt of 2016, security sources said.

The Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul issued arrest warrants for 115 suspects, including on-duty, retired and dismissed soldiers following the detection of intra-organizational communication via pay phones or fixed lines, as well as confessional statements.

Sixty-six suspects were arrested in Istanbul-centered simultaneous police operations launched across 25 provinces.

Separately, police in the capital Ankara arrested 54 FETO suspects after prosecutors issued warrants for 77 suspects in 29 provinces in connection with cheating in a police exam in 2012.

Efforts are ongoing to arrest the remaining suspects.

FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and 2,734 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.