Turkey remands 135 FETÖ terror suspects

Turkish prosecutors issued warrants on Wednesday for 135 people, including dozens of soldiers and ex-soldiers, over their suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), the group behind last year’s defeated coup, according to a judicial source.

Prosecutors in the central province of Konya issued warrants for 70 soldiers, including 23 discharged from duty following the July 15 defeated coup attempt, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions of speaking to the media.

The warrants are part of an ongoing investigation into the terror group, and prosecutors issued them on the basis of testimony from previously detained FETO suspects.

The source added that the suspects served in the Turkish land and naval forces.

Konya police ordered the launch of simultaneous operations across 34 provinces to capture the suspects.

Meanwhile, prosecutors in the Mediterranean province of Antalya issued arrest warrants for 65 people for their alleged links to FETO, including 35 civil servants, 25 security officers, and four civilians.

Antalya police units ordered the launch of a simultaneous operation in 99 addresses across 24 provinces, detaining an unknown number of the suspects.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup attempt of July 15, 2016, which left 250 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.