Foreign students detained over FETÖ links in Turkey's south

MERSİN

Some 16 foreign students -- 10 from Somalia, three from Djibouti, two from Guinea and one from Syria -- were rounded up for their alleged links to the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETÖ) in the southern Mersin province, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on June 30, citing the Chief Prosecutor’s Office.

One of the suspects, who was rounded up was reported to be the contact person for foreign students linked to the group in the Mersin province.

The suspects, who were studying at Mersin University, were detained after police reportedly raided 10 of group’s cell houses.

Police are reported to be hunting seven other suspects as part of the probe into the group which Ankara accuses of having masterminded the deadly coup attempt of July 15, 2016.

13 on-duty soldiers detained

Separately, at least 29 suspects, including on-duty soldiers, were detained across Turkey for their alleged links to FETÖ, the agency reported on June 30, citing police sources.

Thirteen on-duty soldiers were detained in simultaneous operations conducted in nine provinces, including the capital Ankara, and the central Kırıkkale and eastern Diyarbakır provinces, the agency quoted the unnamed sources as saying.

The detentions came after the Kırıkkale Public Prosecutor’s Office issued arrest warrants for the soldiers as part of a probe into FETÖ’S secret military structure.

The Gülen network, which the Turkish authorities refer to as the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), and its leader Gülen are widely believed to have orchestrated the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016 which left 251 people killed and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara also accuses the Gülen network of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.