ISTANBUL 

At least 57 people were arrested on Saturday over suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkiye, sources said.

The suspects were held in simultaneous operations conducted in 25 provinces after prosecutors in Istanbul issued warrants for eight active duty, two retired, 10 dismissed soldiers, and 53 former military school students. They were found to be called from payphones or fixed lines used for intra-organizational communication, said the sources.

A large number of organizational documents and digital materials were seized during the operations, the sources said, adding raids are being conducted to apprehend 16 fugitive suspects.

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

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 coup attempt, tens of thousands of FETO suspects have been arrested, including many in the armed forces, police, judicial system, and the education sector.

* Writing by Beyza Binnur Donmez​​​​​​​