UPDATE - Over 40 FETO-linked suspects arrested across Turkey

UPDATES FIGURE IN HEADLINE, ADDS MORE DETENTIONS

By Sibel Ugurlu, Sengul Oymak, Ahmet Ozler and Fecri Barlik

ANKARA (AA) - At least 42 suspects, including former teachers and military personnel, were arrested Friday for being linked to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization/Parallel State Structure (FETO/PDY), according to a security official.

In an operation spanning 11 provinces carried out from the eastern province of Siirt, 18 military personnel, including a teacher were arrested after prosecutors issued warrants for 21 suspects as part of the FETO/PDY investigation, according to a statement from the provincial security directorate.

The operation also included the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

Three people were arrested in central Kayseri province, while 10 others, including former teachers, were taken into custody in eastern Malatya province.

In another eastern Elazig province, seven suspects were arrested for using FETO’s encrypted smartphone messaging application ByLock, the official, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media, said.

According to Turkish authorities, ByLock was a means of communication among members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016 that left 250 people martyred and some 2,200 others injured.

The suspects were also accused of having bank accounts in Bank Asya -- a lender affiliated with FETO, which has recently been declared bankrupt.

In northwestern Tekirdag province, the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched a probe and issued arrest warrants for eight suspects. Four of them were arrested during simultaneous police raids later.

In a separate operation spanning 16 provinces carried out from the northwestern province of Kocaeli, six soldiers were remanded in custody while five others were released under judicial control as part of the FETO/PDY investigation.

Turkey accuses FETO of a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.