Turkey: 35 FETO terror suspects arrested nationwide

By Cankut Tastan and Sertac Bulur

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish police on Wednesday arrested 35 suspects nationwide for their suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup attempt, security sources said.

The 35 were among 55 warrants issued by prosecutors in the capital Ankara over FETO infiltration of the Turkish Air Forces Command, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The arrests were made in 24 provinces, and operations continue to arrest the remaining suspects.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup attempt of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

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.

*Writing by Busra Nur Bilgic Cakmak