FETO-linked couple remanded in custody in Edirne

By Salih Baran

EDIRNE, Turkey

A Turkish couple suspected of links to the group behind last year’s defeated coup were remanded in custody on Wednesday after being caught fleeing to Greece.

The couple had been detained on Monday in Turkey’s southwestern Edirne province, bordering Greece. After they identified themselves as Syrian citizens, the truth emerged when soldiers found their marriage license nearby.

Afif Demirtas, 36, a former technician at Dicle University in the southeastern Diyarbakir province, and his wife Habibe, 33, a former police officer, appeared in court in Edirne. The couple’s children, ages 1 and 6, were handed over to family friends.

The couple stand accused of using the Fetullah Terrorist Organization’s (FETO) ByLock smartphone app.

According to the Turkish government, 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.

Ankara also 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.

Reporting by Salih Baran; Writing by Sena Guler