UPDATE - Over 100 FETO suspects arrested across Turkey

UPDATES WITH NUMBER OF ARRESTS, CHANGES IN HEADLINE AND DECK

By Sebahatdin Zeyrek, Recep Bilek, Muzahim Zahid Tuzun and Kemal Ozdemir

ANKARA (AA) - Over 100 suspects were arrested during antiterrorism operations across Turkey for their alleged links to the Fetullah Terror Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup attempt, according to a judicial source on Tuesday.

Following the issuance of arrest warrants by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office of the northern Samsun province, 13 on-duty and one dismissed soldier were arrested, said a source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

In the central Turkish province of Kayseri, two people were apprehended for allegedly using encrypted messaging apps Block and Eagle, which were also used extensively by the FETO terror group and in southwestern Denizli province, seven suspects were arrested for the same grounds.

In the eastern Tunceli, nine officers suspected of FETO links including two dismissed officers were arrested.

Separately, in eastern Erzican province, six people suspected of FETO links including four women were arrested, another security source told Anadolu Agency.

Thirty-six suspects were arrested in the central province of Afyonkarahisar during an operation to identify FETO “cell houses”.

In southeastern Turkey, police forces launched an operation from Batman in 12 provinces and rounded up 18 FETO suspects.

Ten on-duty soldiers and a police officer were also apprehended during an operation carried out simultaneously in 14 provinces.

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.