IZMIR, Turkey

A total of 12 people were arrested in Turkey on Wednesday for their suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind a defeated 2016 coup attempt in the country.

Prosecutors in the Aegean province of Izmir issued arrest warrants for 25 suspects on charges of using the terror group’s encrypted smartphone messaging app, ByLock, according to a statement from the prosecutor’s office.

Simultaneous operations were carried out across six provinces -- Izmir, Bursa, Kutahya, Kocaeli, Mus and Corum.

The operations continue to arrest other suspects, the statement said.

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.

Turkey 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.