Turkey: 24 ex-police officers held in FETO terror sweep

By Adsiz Gunebakan

GAZIANTEP, Turkey (AA) - At least 24 former police officers in Turkey were arrested for their suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), security sources said on Wednesday.

Prosecutors in southeastern Gaziantep province issued arrest warrants for 25 expelled police officers, as part of an investigation into FETO’s infiltration of security forces, said the sources who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Anti-terror operations were conducted in six provinces, and so far 24 suspects have been rounded up.

Efforts continued to capture the remaining suspect.

FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the July 15, 2016 defeated coup in Turkey, in which 251 people were martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara 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.