Turkey issues arrest warrants for 48 FETO suspects

By Serdar Acil, Baris Kilic and Sertac Bulur

ANKARA / SAKARYA, Turkey (AA) - A Turkish court on Monday issued arrest warrants for 48 on-duty and former military personnel for their suspected links to members of Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey.

Prosecutors in capital Ankara issued warrants for 10 on-duty and 26 former military officers who allegedly communicated with FETO members via pay phones, said a police source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media. The source added that 23 suspects had been arrested while search for the remaining suspects continues.

Separately, Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in the northwestern province of Sakarya on Monday issued arrest warrants for 12 suspects as part of an ongoing probe into the FETO members' infiltration of the Turkish army, judicial sources told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity due to restriction on speaking to the media.

The suspects -- including active soldiers and cadets -- are wanted by Turkish security forces.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people 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.