Police arrest 58 FETO terror suspects in Turkey

ANKARA/EDIRNE, Turkey

Turkish police arrested 58 people over suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey, security sources said on Friday.

As part of a probe based in the western Izmir province on the terror group's infiltration of the Turkish military, arrest warrants had been issued for 113 suspects.

Of these, 55 were released, including six on condition of house arrest.

Furthermore, arrest warrants for four suspects were canceled after evidence in the case was re-examined.

Separately, arrest warrants were issued for 31 others, including public servants, police officers and lawyers over their suspected links to FETO the terror group, as part of investigations based in the capital Ankara and northwestern Edirne province.

FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people dead and 2,734 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.

* Writing by Ahmet Gencturk