Over 40 FETO-linked terror suspects arrested in Turkey
Police rounded up suspects for their alleged links to group behind defeated coup in 2016
By Serhan Kirici
ANKARA
At least 46 people have been arrested across Turkey on Thursday over suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), a police source said.
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, according to the Turkish government.
In northern province of Samsun, police arrested 14 suspects as part of a probe into FETO by Samsun Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Based in the central Aksaray province, simultaneous operations were conducted in 10 provinces, including Istanbul, Ankara, Bursa, Isparta, Gaziantep, Erzurum, Trabzon, Afyonkarahisar and Mersin provinces, said a police source who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.
Ten FETO suspects were arrested, the source added.
In central Kayseri province six suspects were arrested for providing financial support to FETO-affiliated Bank Asya.
An Istanbul court declared the lender bankrupt last November. Bank Asya's banking license was cancelled on July 22, 2016 -- seven days after the defeated coup -- by Turkey’s Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency.
Raids based in southwestern Denizli province saw 11 FETO suspects arrested for links to the terror group, a police source said.
Another two suspects were arrested in northwestern Edirne province as part of a probe into FETO by Edirne Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
In Eremite district of northwestern Balikesir province, two suspects were rounded up for alleged links with FETO.
A suspect was apprehended for being a member of FETO as he was trying to flee from Turkey in western Aydin province.
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.
