UPDATE - Turkey: 44 police officers arrested over FETO links

UPDATES WITH MORE ARRESTS

By Halil Demir and Huseyin Kulaoglu

ISTANBUL (AA) - Some 44 serving, seven off-duty police officers and three others-- who were accused of having links to Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) -- were arrested in anti-terror operations across Turkey, security sources said on Saturday.

The arrests came after Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office issued arrest warrants for some 64 FETO-linked terror suspects, in 30 provinces across the nation, according to sources who asked not to be named, due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Police conducted simultaneous raids in 75 locations. The operation is underway to nab the remaining suspects.

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.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar and Nilay Kar