Turkey arrests 17 in probe of businessman Zarrab

A total of 17 people have been arrested over the investigation of businessman Reza Zarrab in Turkey, according to police sources.

Three of the suspects had been arrested previously, and the remainder were arrested on Tuesday, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Three suspects -- identified as Sinem A., Regaip A., and Mustafa H. -- were working with Zarrab and allegedly sent documents to the U.S. concerning the legal proceedings concerning him there.

Zarrab last month accepted all the U.S. charges against him and agreed to cooperate as a witness against Mehmet Hakan Atilla, the former deputy CEO of Turkey’s state-run lender Halkbank.

Zarrab was detained last year in New York on charges of violating U.S. sanctions against Iran, while Atilla was arrested in the U.S. earlier this year on similar charges.

The Turkish government believes Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) is linked to the court case. The judge presiding over the case has proven links to FETÖ, and the alleged proof comprises illegally obtained and fabricated evidence, including of wiretap records by FETÖ-affiliated police officers.