Turkey arrests 59 ex-police officers in FETÖ probe

At least 59 former police officers have been arrested across Turkey as part of a probe into Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup attempt, security sources said Thursday.

The arrests came after Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued arrest warrants for 88 former police officers in 12 provinces including capital Ankara, according to sources who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The suspects are accused of being part of FETÖ’s police structure.

Another 21 suspects, who were allegedly using the terror group’s encrypted messaging application ByLock, are also sought by Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, another source said.

Police hunt for the suspects is underway.

According to the Turkish government, the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) 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 FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.