Turkey: 18 naval suspects arrested over FETO links

By Muhammed Enes Can and Murat Kaya

ISTANBUL (AA) - Eighteen suspects from the Turkish navy have been arrested over suspected links to FETO, the terrorist group behind the 2016 defeated coup, a judicial source said Friday.

The 18 are among 70 officers, ex-officers, and civilian workers and officials sought by warrants, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Istanbul prosecutors issued the warrants after examining digital documents seized from a suspect codenamed "Engin."

The warrants include 15 naval officers, including 11 on-duty, as well as civilian officials and teachers, the source said.

A probe based on the digital documents is ongoing.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016 in Turkey, which left 250 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.

A separate probe launched by Istanbul prosecutors, also based on the Engin documents, found that FETO members used a cellphone app offering 2048 -- a non-copyrighted game offered in many versions -- as a way to send encoded messages. The probe is continuing.