Turkey seizes business figures' assets in FETO probe

ISTANBUL

A Turkish court on Wednesday ordered the seizure of assets belonging to 41 businessmen suspected of having links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

The court in Istanbul ordered that all bank accounts, vehicles and other assets belonging to the 41 suspects be confiscated, said a judicial source on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The Istanbul court started an investigation on Aug. 16 to clarify FETO’s financial structure in Akfa Holding and its 44 sub-companies.

Forty-one people -- including high-ranking business staff -- have since been remanded in custody in connection with the investigation.

U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen is accused by Turkey of organizing the July 15 coup attempt through his supporters.

Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania since 1997, is accused of running a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as the parallel state.