Turkey: 30 police officers held in parallel state op

By Halil Demir, Muhammed Enes Can, and Murat Kaya

ISTANBUL (AA) - Thirty police officers were detained Thursday in Istanbul-based operations held across 22 Turkish provinces against the Fetullah Gulen Terrorist Organization or FETO, also known as the “parallel state”.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued an arrest warrant for 41 police officers, including a number of police chiefs.

One of the suspects had already been arrested in a previous anti-parallel state operation, while three others are currently at large, police said.

The suspects are accused of being behind the 2011 death of journalist Haydar Meric, who reportedly was about to write a book critical of Gulen, who is based in the U.S. and wanted by Turkey for extradition.

The suspected police officers were allegedly tapping the journalist, who reportedly belonged to a leftist terrorist group.

Meric was kidnapped in May 2011 in Turkey's central Kirklareli province, and his body was found the next month in the northwestern Duzce province, according to the prosecutor's office.

The detained police officers are also suspected of having covered up evidence of the journalist's murder.

Police continue to investigate the incident.

The Fetullah Terrorist Organization is led by U.S.-based cleric Fetullah Gulen, who is accused of attempting to overthrow the Turkish government through a network of supporters, known as Gulenists, within state institutions.