Turkey seeks detention of more coup-linked suspects

By Baris Kilic, Turan Kazak, Ismail Ersan, Orhan Onur Gemici, Hasan Namli

ANKARA

Turkish authorities on Friday issued detention warrants for hundreds of suspects linked to Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

According to a statement issued by Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in the capital Ankara, detention warrants for 26 suspects have been issued.

It said 24 of 26 suspects are serving soldiers, 1 is retired and the remaining 1 was expelled from the army. They were allegedly involved in the last year’s defeated coup, it added.

The serving soldiers were in Army Aviation College during July 15 coup bid.

The Office has also issued detention warrants for 63 suspects, who were employed in educational institutes -- which are now closed -- and 8 suspects, who are still working in Ministry of Education.

The statement said 27 of the suspects have already been taken into custody for allegedly using encrypted ByLock smartphone app.

The ByLock smartphone app was allegedly used by FETO members for internal communication during FETO’s defeated coup attempt of July 15, 2016, which martyred 250 people and injured over 2,000 others.

Also, Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in central Aksaray province issued a detention warrants for 71 suspects, 60 of them were dismissed from teaching profession, while 11 others for allegedly using the ByLock app.

Deployed in Aksaray, security forces have taken into custody 40 of 71 suspects in ongoing operations in three provinces -- southern Mersin, central Kayseri and northwestern Bolu provinces -- Friday morning.

Elsewhere, Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in northwestern Yalova province issued detention warrants for 27 suspects, residing in six different provinces, accused of aiding financial support to FETO and using the ByLock app.

20 suspects were taken into custody by security forces in Istanbul, Izmir, northern Samsun, Ankara, northwestern Tekirdag provinces, centrally in Yalova.

Meanwhile, Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in southeastern Diyarbakir province issued arrest warrants for 31 suspects accused of using ByLock app.

The security forces performed operations and have taken 19 suspects into custody.

The FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016.

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.