Turkish police arrest 9 FETO-linked terror suspects

IZMIR, Turkey

Turkish security forces on Tuesday arrested nine suspects, including serving soldiers, for their suspected links to Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 coup attempt, a security source said.

Earlier, the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in the Aegean province of Izmir issued arrest warrants for 18 people, it said in a statement.

The warrants, including those for 12 serving officers, were issued as part of a probe into the terror group’s secret structure within the Turkish Armed Forces.

The security forces launched Izmir-based simultaneous raids in nine provinces on early Tuesday and arrested nine of the suspects.

The search for the remaining suspects is ongoing across the country.

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.

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.

*Writing by Burak Bir

Earlier, the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in the Aegean province of Izmir issued arrest warrants for 18 people, it said in a statement.

The warrants, including those for 12 serving officers, were issued as part of a probe into the terror group’s secret structure within the Turkish Armed Forces.

The security forces launched Izmir-based simultaneous raids in nine provinces on early Tuesday and arrested nine of the suspects.

The search for the remaining suspects is ongoing across the country.

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.

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.

*Writing by Burak Bir