Turkey: Arrest warrants out for 20 soldiers over FETO

IZMIR, Turkey

Arrest warrants have been issued across Turkey for 20 on-duty soldiers and three others who were dismissed from service as part of a probe into the structure of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) in the Turkish Armed Forces, security sources said Tuesday.

Izmir Public Prosecutor’s Office issued the warrants for 23 suspects, who were accused of having links to the terror group, said the sources who asked not to be named, due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Following the warrants, simultaneous operations have been launched in 15 provinces including Izmir, Istanbul, Ankara, and Diyarbakir, to apprehend the suspects.

One on-duty lieutenant and 19 non-commissioned officers were among the suspects, the sources added.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Turkey 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.