Turkey nabs 2 FETO terror suspects

By Ozgun Tiran

KIRKLARELI / ANKARA, Turkey (AA) - At least two people with suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey, were arrested in nationwide operations, Turkish authorities said on Tuesday.

Security forces in the northwestern province of Kirklareli nabbed one of the suspects, identified only by the initials A.B., in a traffic check. An arrest warrant had been issued for A.B. for alleged membership of an armed terrorist organization.

Separately, police in the capital Ankara raided a residence allegedly being used by FETO fugitives. A fugitive former police chief identified as Mesut E. was arrested, while another, Mustafa O., was not at the address.

Both were also found to have used the terror group's encrypted messaging app ByLock.

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.

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.

*Writing by Dilan Pamuk in Ankara