Turkey: Daesh/ISIS suspect, 6 FETO members nabbed at borders

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) – A Daesh/ISIS terror suspect and six members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) were held at Turkey’s borders, the National Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

The suspects were among 23 people caught trying to illegally enter Turkey from Iran or cross from Turkey to Greece, the ministry said on Twitter.

“Our fight against illegal crossings from our borders continues,” the ministry added.

In 2013, Turkey became one of the first countries to declare Daesh/ISIS a terrorist group.

The country has since been attacked by the terror group multiple times, with over 300 people killed and hundreds more injured in at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks, and four armed assaults.

In response, Turkey launched anti-terror operations at home and abroad to prevent further attacks.

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

Turkey 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.