Turkish court remands FETO suspects sent from Malaysia

By Zafer Fatih Beyaz, Kemal Karadag and Cankut Tasdan

ANKARA (AA) - Two men extradited from Malaysia to Turkey earlier this month on charges of involvement with the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) were remanded in custody by a Turkish court on Wednesday.

Turgay Karaman and Ismet Ozcelik had been detained in Malaysia and later sent to Turkey on May 12.

A third suspect in the case, Ihsan Aslan, was released under judicial restrictions.

The three men had been held as part of investigation carried out by Turkish intelligence in coordination with Interpol.

Karaman served as principal of a FETO-affiliated international school in Ipoh city, Malaysia. Ozcelik was referred to as an academic and Aslan is a businessman.

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