Anti-FETO march ends in Aegean city

By Ferdi Uzun and Bahri Asik

AYDIN, Turkey

The brother of Turkey’s main opposition party ended a march against the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) in the Aegean province of Aydin Monday.

Celal Kilicdaroglu, the brother of main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, and a group of some 20 marchers walked nearly 38 kilometers (24 miles) from Soke to the Aegean resort town of Didim.

Kilicdaroglu and the group marched with a banner saying: "FETO members tricked my brother too," referring to the CHP leader, who also supported the march.

After some tension with city workers, the protesters placed a black wreath in front of the Didim Municipality building over alleged transfers of money to FETO.

Speaking to reporters, Celal Kilicdaroglu said the march was meant to highlight links between Didim Mayor Deniz Atabay and Erkan Karaarslan, who was arrested in the southeastern Mersin province as part of a FETO investigation.

Kilicdaroglu said he would also start a “death fast” to expose the affiliation between the municipality and FETO.

Led by U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen, FETO is accused of orchestrating Turkey’s July 15 coup plot as well as being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through infiltrating Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and the judiciary.

The July 15 defeated coup left 248 martyred and nearly 2,200 wounded.