UPDATE - Turkey launches operations to arrest 121 FETO suspects

UPDATED WITH NEW FETO ARRESTS IN KONYA, TRABZON PROVINCES

By Sertac Bulur, Kemal Karadag, Savas Guler, and Selma Kasap, Seyit Ahmet Eksik

ANKARA/KONYA, Turkey (AA) - Turkish security forces on Thursday launched counter-terror operations to arrest 121 alleged members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind last year's defeated coup, according to security sources.

The suspects, dismissed employees of the Foreign Ministry, were accused of using ByLock, an encrypted smartphone messaging app used by FETO members before and during last year's coup attempt, said the sources on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The arrest warrants were issued for 121 suspects under an investigation into ex-ministry staff.

Following the warrants, the Ankara police's counter-terror division ordered the launch of operations in 30 provinces, said the sources.

Also on Thursday, an arrest warrant was issued by prosecutors in central Konya against 70 currently serving Turkish Armed Forces soldiers.

Konya police also ordered the launch of operations in 31 provinces and arrested 46 of the 70, police sources said. A search for the remaining 24 is ongoing.

In another operation based in the northeastern Trabzon province, 14 soldiers were also arrested for their suspected links to FETO.

Meanwhile, the National Education Ministry on Thursday decided to shut down four FETO-affiliated schools.

Two schools in Ankara, one in the southern Hatay province, and one in the Aegean Izmir province were among the closed schools.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup attempt of July 15, 2016, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara 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.