Türkiye detains 3 FETO suspects trying to escape abroad

By Gokhan Duzyol and Ibrahim Uzun

AYDIN, Türkiye (AA) - Three suspected members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) were detained in western Türkiye as they attempted to escape abroad, a security source said late Thursday.

Acting on a tip, police in Kusadasi district in Aydin province launched an operation to nab the suspects, who were spotted getting out of a car and taking down a small boat and boat engine.

They were nabbed by security forces at the scene, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Police also seized fake IDs during the operation.

It was later determined that the suspects were processed for being members of the FETO terrorist organization, the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Türkiye, with a ban on leaving the country.

FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup in Türkiye of July 15, 2016 in which 251 people were killed and 2,734 wounded. 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.