Turkish police arrests 7 suspects in FETO probe

By Baris Kilic and Serdar Acil

ANKARA (AA) - At least seven suspected members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup, have been arrested in central Turkey, a judicial source said Thursday.

The arrests came as part of an investigation carried out by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in the capital Ankara, which issued arrest warrants for 16 suspects who allegedly used ByLock, an encrypted cellphone application used by coup-plotters, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The suspects were arrested in Ankara and central Cankiri province.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016 in Turkey, 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.