Turkey arrests 29 terror suspects

By Muhammed Kaygin

CANKIRI, Turkey

Turkish security forces have arrested a total of 29 terror suspects across the country, police officials said on Monday.

At least 15 suspects were arrested from eight different provinces on Monday, as part of an investigation against Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) by Cankiri’s Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, a police official, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on talking to the media, told Anadolu Agency.

In another operation, 9 FETO-linked suspects, including some commissioned and noncommissioned military officers on duty, were also arrested, as part of investigation by Kirsehir’s Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, another official said.

One more suspect was arrested in northwestern Edirne province while he was trying to go abroad from Kapikule customs gate. During the controls at the customs gate, it was identified that the suspect is a user of ByLock app, an encrypted smartphone software used by FETO members before and during the defeated coup attempt of July 2016.

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

Meanwhile, police arrested a suspect on Nov. 4 over suspicion of being the member of DHKP-C terrorist organization. In line with the statements of the arrested suspect, the police conducted raids at several places in Ankara on Monday, arresting four more DHKP-C-linked suspects.

DHKP-C is responsible for a number of terror attacks in Turkey, including the 2013 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, which left a Turkish security guard martyred and a Turkish journalist injured.

The far-left group is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union.

*Hakan Mehmet Sahin from Edirne, Cankut Tasdan and Sertac Bulur from Ankara and Abdullah Yildiz from Kirsehir contributed to this report.