Turkey arrests 53 for suspected FETO links

By Ismet Karakas and Ugur Ulu

ANKARA (AA) - At least 53 people were arrested Friday for their suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup attempt, officials said.

The arrests came after prosecutors in the capital Ankara issued warrants for 92 former Air Force staff dismissed after the defeated coup. They are being probed for communicating via payphones with FETO members, according to a statement by the top prosecutor's office.

An operation was carried out across 22 provinces.

In a separate development, prosecutors in the northwestern Bursa province issued warrants for 46 suspects, including 26 on-duty soldiers, for allegedly communicating with covert imams of the group.

An operation is underway to arrest the suspects.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of 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.