UPDATE 2 - Turkish police arrest 48 FETO-linked terror suspects

UPDATES WITH MORE ARRESTS; CHANGES HEADLINE, LEDE, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Ismet Karakas, Sertac Bulur, Baris Kilic, Muhammed Enes Can and Basak Akbulut Yazar

ANKARA / ISTANBUL (AA) - At least 48 people were arrested in Turkey over their suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup, judicial sources said on Tuesday.

Earlier, Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued arrest warrants for 34 suspects, including 21 active-duty soldiers, as part of probe into the terror group’s infiltration of the Turkish Armed Forces.

The suspects are accused of having contacts with "covert imams” -- senior FETO members -- by pay phone.

Police carried out an operation and arrested 21 suspects, while a hunt for the remaining suspects is underway.

In a separate operation in Ankara, the police arrested two of 11 former judges and prosecutors, who were dismissed by the Supreme Council of Judges and Public Prosecutors on Monday over their links to the terror group.

The suspects had been identified from the testimony of other suspects benefiting from a repentance law.

Meanwhile, at least five more people were also arrested in the capital over their suspected links to the FETO.

This came after Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued arrest warrants for nine suspects, including seven former police officers.

Separately, Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued arrest warrants for 31 suspects as part of probe into the terror group’s infiltration of the armed forces.

The arrest warrants were issued after suspects were found to have communicated with members of the terror group by pay phone.

So far, police have arrested 20 suspects in Istanbul-based operations.

Police are on the lookout for the remaining suspects.

FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, in which 251 people were martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Turkey 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.

* Writing by Erdogan Cagatay Zontur