UPDATE - Nearly 60 FETO suspects arrested in Turkey

UPDATES WITH MORE ARRESTS

By Zafer Fatih Beyaz, Muhammed Enes Can and Halil Demir

ANKARA (AA) - A total of 58 FETO suspects have been arrested across Turkey for their alleged links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup attempt.

32 out of 58 suspects have been arrested in the simultaneous operations conducted in various provinces -- including the capital Ankara, and the western Izmir and southern Isparta provinces.

The arrests came after the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued an arrest warrant for 45 police officers including some who were dismissed as part of a probe into FETO’s police structure.

The search for the other suspects is ongoing.

Separately, Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued arrest warrants for 28 suspects --including on-duty commissioned officers and dismissed officers -- as part of a probe into FETO’s army structure, according to judicial sources on Friday.

In operations conducted in 21 provinces, 8 of the suspects -- including one lieutenant colonel -- were arrested, according to the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity due to media restrictions.

Hunt for other 20 suspects was underway.

Meanwhile, 18 suspects, who were allegedly providing financial support to FETO terror group, were rounded up in Istanbul and Yalova provinces.

The Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, 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.