EDIRNE, Turkey

Four people, who were planning to cross to Greece through illegal means, were arrested in Turkey’s northwestern Edirne province for their suspected links to Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) on Saturday, military sources said.

The suspects caught near the prohibited military zone between Greece and Turkey, were including an ex-colonel, Mahmut Erel, who had been wanted by Turkish security forces for "being member of a terrorist organization".

Another suspect Sabri A. was also wanted for the same charge, while the two others, M.K. and E.K. were users of ByLock, an encrypted cellphone app used by FETO coup plotters.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara also 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.

*Writing by Can Erozden