Police arrests 11 FETO suspects in southwestern Turkey

By Durmus Genc

MUGLA, Turkey

Eleven people trying to flee Turkey were arrested Saturday for their alleged links to the group blamed for last year’s attempted coup, according to security sources.

Police detained the suspects in Dalaman district of the southwestern Mugla province while trying to flee to the Greek island of Rhodes, said the sources, 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 detained two others who were allegedly helping the suspects escape, according to the source.

The source said two of the suspects were ex-security officers who were dismissed from their professions, and two of the suspects were minors.

An estimated 280,000 Turkish liras ($78,000) worth of currency was seized during the operation, according to the source.