Turkey issues arrest warrants for 127 FETO suspects

By Serdar Acil, Ali Kemal Akan and Savas Guler

ANKARA

Turkey on Wednesday issued arrest warrants for 127 people over their suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), according to a judicial source.

The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in capital Ankara issued arrest warrants for 39 suspects, including 11 former employees of the Ministry of Family and Social Policies after they were accused of using ByLock, an encrypted cellphone app used by the terror group, the source said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to media.

Police have so far arrested 13 suspects during simultaneous raids conducted in Ankara, the source said, adding the operations were continuing to detain the remaining suspects.

More arrest warrants were issued in central Konya province for 70 suspects, including 43 serving soldiers.

The ongoing Konya-based nationwide simultaneous raids conducted across 23 provinces resulted in the arrest of 37 suspects.

The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in the western province of Izmir issued arrest warrants for 18 suspects, including 16 on-duty soldiers.

Meanwhile, nine former and on-duty tax inspectors were held during an operation in southern Hatay province for their alleged links to FETO.

In western Bursa province, five suspended and dismissed police officers were arrested for their alleged links to FETO.

Additionally, a suspended pilot was held in central Eskisehir province on suspicion of being the terror group's member.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah 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.

Since the defeated coup attempt, operations have been ongoing in the military, police and judiciary, as well as in state institutions across the country, to arrest suspects with alleged links to FETO.