Turkey arrests 24 FETO suspects in coup bid probe

By Sorwar Alam

ANKARA (AA) - Twenty-four suspected members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) were arrested on Monday for their alleged links to a deadly coup attempt in Turkey last year, according to a security official.

The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in southwestern province of Isparta had carried out an investigation into the FETO terror network and issued an arrest warrant against 18 suspects for using the encrypted ByLock mobile phone messaging application, said an official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

According to Turkish authorities, ByLock was used by FETO members to communicate during and after the defeated coup attempt.

Isparta Police Department arrested the suspects in simultaneous operations, said the official.

In a separate operation, the Turkish police arrested six military officers, including a retired and a dismissed officer, in the northern Samsun province, according to another official.

Meanwhile, trial of several hundred FETO suspects continued across the country, including two major trials in capital Ankara and Aegean province of Izmir.

The trial of 221 suspects involved in the incidents at the Turkish General Staff during the last year’s defeated coup, continued in Ankara.

Also, a trial for 279 suspects continued at the 2nd High Criminal Court in Izmir.

Fetullah Gulen, the U.S.-based FETO leader is the prime suspect in the ongoing trial in Izmir.

FETO and Gulen had orchestrate a deadly coup attempt in Turkey on July 15, 2016 that left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 others injured.

Ankara also accused FETO for engaging in a long-running campaign to overthrow Turkey’s democratically elected government as they infiltrated into government institutions, including judiciary, police and military.