Turkey arrests over 50 soldiers in anti-FETO operation

By Halil Demir and Sefa Mutlu

ISTANBUL (AA) - Over 50 high-ranking soldiers were arrested across Turkey on Saturday as part of an anti-Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) probe, according to a public prosecutor’s office.

The Istanbul 11th Criminal Court of Peace issued arrest warrants for 530 high-ranking soldiers, including 280 military officers and 250 sergeants early Saturday.

The Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement later that 53 soldiers had been arrested so far, including 48 from the port city and five others from other provinces in the country.

The Istanbul-based simultaneous operations are on the lookout for the rest of the suspects, some of whom used the ByLock messaging app that is said to be linked to the July 15 coup attempt.

The ByLock smartphone app is believed to have been cracked by Turkish security agencies months before the coup, allowing them to identify tens of thousands of suspected FETO supporters.

According to Turkey’s government, FETO leader Fetullah Gulen masterminded the July 15 defeated coup, which left 248 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

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

In the wake of the coup attempt, tens of thousands FETO suspects have been arrested, including many in the armed forces, police, justice system and education sector.