Turkey Seeks 266 With Warrants For Suspected FETO Ties

Turkish prosecutors issued arrest warrants for 266 suspects nationwide over their alleged links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup, according to the judicial sources on Friday.

Prosecutors in the capital Ankara issued warrants for 64 suspects on charges of leaking the police recruitment exam in 2009, which they used to infiltrate state institutions, said a source who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

In Ankara-centered simultaneous police operations launched across 24 provinces, 26 suspects were arrested so far.

Also Ankara prosecutors issued arrest warrants for 48 suspects over charges of leaking the police promotion exam in 2009, which the suspects used to promote in state institutions, and in an operation, 41 of them were arrested.

In a separate operation in Ankara, 50 suspects out of 84 were arrested over their alleged links to FETO, including 23 active-duty officials in the Justice Ministry.

Prosecutors in northwestern Balikesir province also issued arrest warrants for 26 suspects in 14 provinces on charges of over their alleged links to FETO.

Prosecutors in Istanbul also issued arrest warrants for 44 suspects over their alleged links to FETO, and in simultaneous operations across 32 provinces all suspects were arrested.

Police are on the lookout for the remaining suspects.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup on 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 Erdogan Cagatay Zontur -