Former Istanbul police head arrested in coup probe

ISTANBUL

The former head of Istanbul’s police was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) said to have organized last month’s coup attempt, a prosecutor’s office source said.

Huseyin Capkin was arrested in Cesme, near Izmir, the source said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media, and brought to Istanbul.

As part of the same investigation by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, a district governor from Istanbul and two civil inspectors were also arrested.

Capkin’s arrest follows the arrest of former Istanbul Governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu and 11 other senior officials on Aug. 5 over allegations of links to the defeated coup.

Tens of thousands of people -- mostly teachers and civil servants in the police, military, judiciary -- have been arrested over possible links to the July 15 coup bid, in which at least 240 people were killed.

*Reporting by Muhammed Enes Can; Writing by Fatma Bulbul