UPDATE- FETO 'police organizer' sought in Turkey terror probe

UPDATES WITH 23 OF THE SUSPECTS ARRESTED

By Halil Demir, Murat Kaya

ISTANBUL (AA) – Istanbul police Thursday led an operation to arrest almost 60 suspects linked to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) at 66 addresses across 16 Turkish provinces, according to security sources.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said police were searching for 58 suspects including Osman Hilmi Ozdil, allegedly responsible for FETO’s police structure.

Some 100 police teams dispatched to 66 addresses with search warrants arrested 23 suspects under a FETO probe, the sources said.

Suspects also include security force members, research assistants, teachers and engineers, the sources added.

One of the suspects has been identified as a person already taken into custody under another investigation.

In a separate operation, security sources said 16 former local government officials earlier dismissed under an executive order have been arrested in Eskisehir in northwestern Turkey.

Led by U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen, FETO is accused of orchestrating Turkey’s July 15 coup plot as well as being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.The July 15 defeated coup left 248 people martyred and 2,193 others wounded.