Turkish police arrest 106 over FETO terror links

By Halil Demir

ISTANBUL (AA) - Police in Turkey remanded in custody 106 people over their suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup attempt, security sources said on Wednesday.

Prosecutors in Istanbul had issued warrants for 132 suspects, including 82 active soldiers and 50 dismissed or retired soldiers from the Turkish Armed Forces, over their alleged links to the terror group, said a source who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

In an Istanbul-based operation in 34 provinces, anti-terror police teams arrested 106 suspects, the source said.

The police continue the hunt for the remaining suspects, it added.

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