16 March 2018•Update: 16 March 2018
By Halil Demir
ISTANBUL
Police are seeking the arrests of 68 suspects over links to the Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind Turkey's defeated coup attempt in 2016, according to a security source.
The simultaneous operations in 28 provinces follow the issuing of arrest warrants by Istanbul prosecutors on Friday, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on talking to the media, said.
The suspects, including lawyers, are accused of staying in FETO houses to study for judicial exams, the source added.
A total of 30 suspects have been arrested under the operation, and raids on the addresses are still ongoing, the source said.
Police are targeting suspects in the provinces of Istanbul, Ankara, Adana, Afyon, Antalya, Aydin, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Edirne, Erzurum, Eskisehir, Trabzon, Kirikkale, Izmir, Kahramanmaras, Karaman, Kirklareli, Konya, Manisa, Mardin, Mersin, Sakarya, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Elazig and Batman.
FETO and its U.S.-based leader Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup attempt of July 15, 2016, which left 250 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.
