UPDATE 2- Turkey: 184 soldiers arrested over suspected FETO links

UPDATES WITH MORE ARRESTS

By Muhammed Enes Can

ISTANBUL (AA) - A total of 184 soldiers were arrested across Turkey on Friday over suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup.

After Istanbul prosecutors issued warrants for 300 soldiers as part of a probe of FETO's infiltration of the military, police arrested 150 of them.

The warrants include 211 active-duty soldiers.

At least 13 active-duty soldiers were also arrested in the eastern Bingol province and two in western Balikesir as part of other FETO investigations.

A total of 19 soldiers were arrested in 15 provinces as part of an eastern Erzurum-centered FETO investigation, according to a statement by the provincial governor's office, which did not say if the soldiers were on active duty.

Also, in the western Kocaeli province, 10 dismissed police officers were arrested as part of another FETO investigation.

In Ankara, warrants were issued for 21 suspects for allegedly leaking Police Academy exam questions, and eight of them were arrested in operations in 13 provinces.

Separately, 20 arrest warrants were issued as part of an investigation of FETO's female members, when it was found that the suspects used ByLock, an encrypted cellphone app used by the terror group. Five of the suspects were arrested.

In southern Mersin, four suspects were arrested for links to FETO, including the group's alleged so-called "provincial imam."

In other police operations across Turkey, 41 suspects were arrested for links to FETO, and four people who were arrested previously in eastern Malatya were remanded in custody.

Three suspects in central Tokat also got prison sentences ranging from nine to 12 years for being members of an armed terrorist group, while another suspect in southern Gaziantep got seven years and six months in prison for the same crime.

The Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup on 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.