UPDATE - Turkey arrests 13 FETO-linked terror suspects

UPDATES WITH MORE SUSPECTS ARRESTED, CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Sebahatdin Zeyrek and Salih Baran

DENIZLI, Turkey (AA) – At least 13 people were arrested in Turkey over their suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup, according to security sources on Monday.

Police conducted simultaneous operations in six provinces and arrested 12 suspects, including academicians and advocates, said a source on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

This came after the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in northwestern Edirne province issued arrest warrants for 14 suspects as part of probe into the terror group’s infiltration of the Turkish judiciary.

Police teams continue to hunt for the remaining two suspects.

Separately, one more terror suspect was arrested in the western Denizli province after local police raided an address where the suspect was hiding, another source said.

FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, in which 251 people were martyred and 2,734 injured.

Turkey 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.