UPDATE 2 - Turkey: 190 suspects arrested over FETO links

Dozens of arrest warrants issued to round up members of terror group behind 2016 defeated coup in Turkey

UPDATES WITH NUMBER OF ARRESTS, CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE

By Meric Urer, Savas Guler, Kadir Yildiz and Mirac Kaya

IZMIR/ KONYA/BALIKESIR/KOCAELI, Turkey (AA) - Turkish authorities arrested at least 190 suspects over their alleged links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup, security sources said on Tuesday.

Earlier, prosecutors in the western Izmir province issued warrants for 238 suspects as part of a probe into the terror group's infiltration into the Turkish Armed Forces, said a source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The suspects, including 218 on active duty, are accused of regularly being communicated by FETO members via pay phone.

A total of 173 suspects were arrested in a series of simultaneous operations across 60 provinces in Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Separately, prosecutors in the central Konya province issued warrants for eight suspects as part of a probe into the terror group's infiltration into the Turkish Armed Forces, a security source said.

Gendarmerie forces arrested a total of seven suspects in four provinces, it added.

Also, police arrested 10 suspects in five provinces after prosecutors in the northwestern Kocaeli issued arrest warrants for 11 suspects as part of a probe into the terror group's infiltration into the Turkish Armed Forces.

The hunt for the remaining suspect continues, it added.

In the northwestern Balikesir province, prosecutors issued arrest warrants for 20 suspects as part of an investigation into the terror group’s infiltration into police.

The suspects, including police officers and teachers, are accused of being “covert imams” -- senior FETO members.

FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 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.

*Writing by Erdogan Cagatay Zontur and Gozde Bayar in Ankara

Kaynak:

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