Turkey: 36 FETO-linked terror suspects arrested

By Halil Demir

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish police on Wednesday arrested 36 suspects for their alleged links to Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup attempt, security sources said.

The police arrested 36 suspects after prosecutors issued arrest warrants for 55 people, including 35 active-duty soldiers, as part of an investigation into the terror group's secret structure in the Turkish Armed Forces, said sources who asked not to be identified due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Security forces continue to search for the remaining suspects following Istanbul-based simultaneous operations across 26 provinces.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen are accused of orchestrating the defeated coup of July 15, 2016 which left 251 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.