Turkish police arrest 4 over FETO terror links

By Savas Guler

KONYA, Turkey (AA) - Police in Turkey arrested four people over their suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup attempt, security sources said on Tuesday.

The arrests came after prosecutors in the central Konya province issued warrants for 10 suspects, including three on-duty soldiers, for communicating with senior FETO members via payphone.

Anti-terrorism police teams conducted simultaneous operations across five provinces and arrested four suspects.

The police continue the hunt for the remaining suspects.

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.