Turkey: Wives of 2 FETO suspects held near Greek border

By Cihan Demirci and Ilker Gurel

EDIRNE, Turkey (AA) - The wives of two Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) members were arrested on Monday near Turkey’s border with Greece when they tried to meet their fugitive husbands, according to a military source.

The driver who drove the two women to the location has also been held, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said.

The suspects, who now also stand accused of being linked to FETO, were arrested near Yeniceciftlik village in western Edirne province, close to the Ipsala border crossing.

Meryem D. and Hatice C. were planning to meet their husbands in Greece, who escaped Turkey after the July 15, 2016, defeated coup.

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

Ankara has said FETO is behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.

Since the defeated coup, operations have been ongoing in the military, police and judiciary, as well as in state institutions across the country, to arrest suspects with alleged links to FETO.