UPDATE - Turkish police arrest 45 FETO-linked terror suspects

UPDATES WITH NEW ARREST WARRANTS

By Baris Kilic

ANKARA/IZMIR, Turkey (AA) - Turkish security forces on Tuesday arrested 45 suspects, including serving soldiers, for their suspected links to Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 coup attempt, a security source said.

Earlier, the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in the capital Ankara had issued arrest warrants for 64 people, it said in a statement.

The warrants for 30 people, including 19 serving officers, were issued for their suspected links to FETO network nested in the Turkish Air Forces.

The prosecutor office issued arrest warrants for remaining 34 suspects on charges of “being a member of an armed terrorist organization”.

The suspects were sought for allegedly using ByLock, an encrypted cellphone application used by coup plotters.

Following the warrants, the counter-terrorism department of police held 45 suspects, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The police continue operations to arrest the remains suspects.

Separately, the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in western Izmir province also issued arrest warrants for 37 people, including 22 on-duty military personnel, for their suspected links to FETO network nested in the Turkish Armed Forces.

The counter-terrorism teams of Izmir Police Department launched operations in 15 provinces.

The 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 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.