December 17, 2018•Update: December 18, 2018
By Baris Kilic, Ismet Karakas Cankurt Tasdan
ANKARA, Turkey
Turkish prosecutors issued arrest warrants on Monday for some 111 people including active-duty soldiers across the country for their suspected links to Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup attempt.
Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued the warrants for 64 suspects -- 55 non-commissioned officers including 35 on-duty soldiers -- within the Turkish Land Forces Command and the Gendarmerie General Command.
The other nine suspects are believed to be the terror group’s so-called civilian imams. The suspects are accused of communicating with the terror group through payphones.
Balikesir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office also issued arrest warrants in 14 provinces as well as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus for 27 suspects as part of a probe into FETO.
They were also reportedly communicating with the terror group through payphones.
In western Canakkale province, arrest warrants were issued for 20 FETO suspects as part of a probe into the terror group’s crypto structure within the Turkish Armed Forces.
The search for the suspects is ongoing across the country.
FETO and its U.S.-based leader 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.
*Burak Akay from Canakkale and Sinan Balcikoca from Balikesir contributed to the story.
