Turkish police detain 35 pilots over Gülen links

KONYA

DHA photo

Thirty-five pilots were arrested in Turkey on Nov. 9 over links to the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), security sources have said. 

The chief public prosecutor’s office in the Central Anatolian province of Konya had issued arrest warrants for the 55 suspects – including 54 lieutenants and ex-lieutenants and one colonel – on charges of “violating the constitution,” “treason,” and being a member of an “armed terrorist organization.”      

A provincial security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, told state-run Anadolu Agency that seven of the suspects had already been discharged from the Turkish Armed Forces.

According to information from the Konya Prosecutor’s Office, the suspects are located in the provinces of Konya, Ankara, İzmir, Istanbul, Kayseri, Eskişehir, Balıkesir and Adana. 

An operation to arrest 20 other suspects is ongoing, sources added.      

Led by U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, FETÖ is accused of orchestrating Turkey’s July 15 coup attempt as well as being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the government through the infiltration of various institutions, particularly the military, the police and the judiciary.      

The failed coup attempt left 246 people dead and some 2,194 injured.