40 FETO suspects arrested in Turkey

ANKARA (AA) - Police arrested 40 suspects across Turkey for their alleged links to Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind a deadly coup attempt in 2016, according to a judicial source on Thursday.

Fifteen suspects, including five on-duty soldiers, were nabbed across 10 provinces as part of an eastern Erzincan-based FETO investigation, said the source who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

Police rounded up 11 suspects as a part of a central Kirikkale-based FETO probe across nine provinces.

Additionally, 12 suspects, including two women were held in central Eskisehir province during an operation on cell houses.

In the Semdinli district of the southeastern Hakkari province, two suspects, including a former squadron leader and his wife, were arrested for their alleged links to FETO while attempting to flee to Iraq.

Meanwhile, in southern Adana province, a former rector of Kanuni University was handed down a six-year-and-three-month jail-term for "being member of an armed terrorist organization".

Also, a former clerk of the court was sentenced to six years and three months in prison for "being member of an armed terrorist organization" in southeastern Gaziantep province.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured, according to the Turkish government.

Ankara 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.