30 Turkish soldiers arrested over alleged coup ties

By Savas Guler

KONYA, Turkey (AA) - Thirty soldiers were arrested on Tuesday as part of ongoing sweeps against suspected members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), a security official said.

The arrests followed the issuing of arrest warrants against 70 serving army personnel by the Konya Chief Prosecutor’s Office, the official said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

The arrests by the police’s Smuggling and Organized Crime Unit, which were coordinated from the central city of Konya, took place in Konya, Ankara, Eskisehir, Istanbul, Izmir, Kayseri and Yalova provinces.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen are said to have orchestrated last year’s attempted coup that left 250 people martyred.

The arrest warrants were issued following the testimonies of alleged FETO members previously arrested, the official said. The remaining suspects are being sought.

In another counter-FETO operation based from the northern province of Tokat, 14 serving soldiers and five civilians were arrested across 14 provinces, a security official said under similar condition of anonymity.​