Turkey: 7 FETO suspects arrested

By Sabri Kesen

MUGLA, Turkey (AA) – Turkish police Wednesday caught seven Fethullah Terrorist Organization’s (FETO) suspects, who were trying to escape the country from its southwestern Mugla province, a security source said.

According to the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media, police officials detained the suspects at a forest in coastal town of Marmaris.

Police also detained two others - an Iranian and a Turk - who were allegedly helping the suspects to escape.

Security officials said a court had already issued arrest warrants for the suspects, who were dismissed from their professions.

According to the Turkish government, the FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 2016, which left 249 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara has said FETO is behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.

Turkey has remanded over 47,155 suspects accused of having links to the FETO since the foiled coup of July 2016, according to Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu.