Turkey: 15 FETO-linked terror suspects arrested

By Sertac Bulur

ANKARA (AA) - At least 15 people in Turkey have been arrested on Tuesday for their suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup.

This came after prosecutors in the capital Ankara issued arrest warrants for 21 suspected senior FETO members, also known as an “imam”, as well as four noncommissioned officers who had been dismissed from their profession as part of probe into FETO terror group.

Their identities had been acquired from the statements of suspects, who benefited from the provisions of effective remorse by making a confession.

Anti-terrorism police teams in Ankara launched simultaneous operations in 14 provinces to catch the 25 suspects.

While 15 of them were arrested, operations are still ongoing to catch the remaining 10 suspects.

The police also expect to learn about the terrorist organization’s current activities as a result of the interrogations of the suspects, among whom are covert imams.

FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated a defeated coup on 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.

* Writing by Dilan Pamuk