Turkey issues arrest warrants for over 30 FETO suspects

By Ekber Turkoglu

TOKAT, Turkey (AA) – The Public Prosecutor’s Office in northern Tokat province issued arrest warrants for 34 suspects, including 19 soldiers Monday for alleged links with the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), according to a judicial source.

The suspects include four FETO imams for the military, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said.

The provincial gendarmerie command units launched an operation across 17 provinces to nab the suspects.

In a separate ruling, the same office issued arrest warrants for another 11 people, including judges, prosecutors and lawyers, as part of an ongoing investigation into "the working houses of FETO-linked judges and prosecutors".

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup attempt on July 15, 2016, which left 250 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, judiciary and schools.