Police raid Istanbul courts under FETO probe

ISTANBUL

Prosecutors in Istanbul issued arrest warrants for 87 members of the judiciary Friday as part of a probe into the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), a judicial source said.

The Istanbul, Buyukcekmece, and Gaziosmanpasa courts were raided as part of an ongoing investigation into FETO, the source said, on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Meanwhile, Istanbul police also stormed the Silivri, Metris, and Bakirkoy prisons as well as probation offices in the morning to nab 75 prison officers.

Police also searched the rooms of suspects and examined their computers.

The number of detentions is as yet undisclosed.

Turkey’s government blames FETO for the deadly July 15 defeated coup in Turkey. At least 241 people were martyred in the failed coup, which the government has said was organized by followers of Fetullah Gulen, the head of FETO.

Gulen is accused of leading a long-running campaign to overthrow the Turkish government through the infiltration of state institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as the parallel state.