UPDATE - Over 30,000 FETO members behind bars in Turkey

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS FROM TURKISH PRESIDENT

By Gozde Bayar

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's president on Wednesday said over 20,000 Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) members have been convicted of various crimes, and 10,000 others have been remanded in custody.

"Now, there are 30,559 FETO members in jail, including 20,226 convicted, and 10,333 remanded in custody," Recep Tayyip Erdogan told an event in the capital Ankara marking the 174th anniversary of the Turkish Police Force.

Calling the FETO members “betrayers”, Erdogan also said more than 31,000 personnel have been dismissed from law enforcement forces.

"The number of personnel dismissed from the army is over 15,000, while over 4,000 others were also dismissed from the jurisdiction," he added.

It is hard to detect the FETO members infiltrated into Turkish institutions, Erdogan said, citing their skill in disguising themselves, the denial strategy, and the cell-type operation of the the group.

“We continue our fight [against FETO] with a meticulous work without making anyone suffer and also with a determination to not leave a single betrayer without having punished,” he added.

FETO and its U.S- based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of 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.