By Ferdi Uzun and Ismet Karakas
AYDIN, Turkey/ANKARA (AA) - A total of 19 people were remanded in custody on Friday over the alleged use of a messaging app linked to Turkey’s July 15 coup plot, according to a judicial source.
The suspects are among 23 people arrested Tuesday as part of an operation launched in 17 provinces against the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the source said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions over speaking to media.
Four others have been released under judicial control by a local court in western Aydin province, the source added.
The suspects are accused of using the ByLock mobile app, a suspected means of communication for FETO members.
The app is believed to have been cracked by Turkish security agencies before the coup, prompting the plotters to switch to WhatsApp messaging service but not before tens of thousands of FETO suspects had been identified.
Meanwhile, seven people including retired and active military personnel were remanded in custody by Ankara Courthouse as part of an ongoing investigation into FETO in Ankara.
Turkey accuses FETO, which is led by U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen, of organizing the defeated coup as well as a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.