Turkey: Arrest warrants issued for 54 FETO suspects

By Cankut Tasdan

ANKARA (AA) – The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in Ankara on Saturday issued arrest warrants for 54 suspects across Turkey for their alleged links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup.

The warrants were issued for the suspects as part of a probe into the Police Academy Entrance Exam in 2012, according to a statement.

The statement added that the suspects had procured the test paper ahead of the exam and later took jobs in the Turkish police.

The suspects are accused of "fraud" and "being member of an armed terror organization".

Police has launched operation in 33 provinces to arrest the suspects.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 250 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.