Turkey: Warrants issued for 70 FETO-linked soldiers

By Savas Guler

KONYA, Turkey (AA) - Turkish prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for 70 soldiers allegedly linked to FETO, the group behind last year's defeated coup, judicial sources said on Thursday.

Prosecutors in the central Anatolian province of Konya issued the warrants for 70 Turkish Armed Forces members, including on-duty soldiers, accused of links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO). Konya police ordered the launch of operations in 34 provinces.

The search for the suspects is underway, said the sources, who requested anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara also 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.