Turkish finance officials arrested over coup links

By Sertac Bulur

ANKARA

Dozens of civil servants from the Finance Ministry were arrested Saturday for links to the group said to have organized the July 15 coup attempt, a police official said.

The 36 staff members are accused of using the ByLock messaging app that was widely used by members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) before the attempted coup, the official said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

A total of 60 arrest warrants have been issued against ministry officials and the remaining suspects are currently being sought.

The ByLock smartphone app is believed to have been cracked by Turkish security agencies months before the coup, allowing them to identify tens of thousands of apparent FETO supporters.

The government has said FETO leader Fetullah Gulen masterminded the failed coup, which left 248 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.