Police arrest 5 FETO suspects in southwestern Turkey

MUGLA, Turkey

Five people attempting to flee Turkey were arrested Monday for alleged links to the group blamed for last year’s attempted coup, according to a security source.

Police detained the suspects in Yatagan district of southwestern Mugla province during a road check. They were trying to flee to the Greek island of Rhodes, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The suspects are alleged members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), led by U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen, the group accused of orchestrating the defeated July 2016 coup in Turkey which left 249 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Police also arrested the driver of the vehicle and another person who was allegedly helping the suspects escape, according to the sources.

Reporting by Burak Alper Kus:Writing by Sibel Ugurlu