Fugitive FETO terror suspect nabbed in Turkish capital

Aykut Karadag and Mehmet Yavas

ANKARA/CANAKKALE, Turkey (AA) - A co-founder of a bank linked to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind a defeated 2016 coup, was arrested by Turkish police, security sources said on Saturday.

Turkish police arrested Kamil Yavuz M. carrying a fake ID in the Cankaya district of the capital Ankara, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The suspect, a co-founder of Bank Asya, was accused of being a senior member of the terrorist group and using ByLock, the group’s encrypted smartphone messaging app.

The suspect allegedly continued to take part in the group and frequently changed addresses to avoid arrest.

Separately, two suspects accused of helping FETO suspects to flee to Greece by rubber boat on Aug. 16 were arrested in the northwestern province of Canakkale.

FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, in which 251 people were martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Turkey 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.