Operation launched for over 100 FETÖ/PDY members

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

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Detention warrants were issued for 120 people, 68 of whom were detained, as part of seven different “parallel structure” probes, as police conducted simultaneous operations in 22 provinces on April 5.

The operations, which aimed to capture high ranking members of the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ)/Parallel State Structure (PDY), were centered in the provinces of Ankara, Adıyaman, Samsun, Kilis, Antalya, Gümüşhane and Gaziantep, as well as peripheral operations in several other provinces including Istanbul, Mersin, Muş, Hatay and Bitlis. 

The police reported some of the suspects were already overseas, as they had recently fled the country, and operations to capture those with detention warrants were continuing. The suspects included former ministry officials, former security chiefs, businesspersons, foundation and association heads, university personnel and academics, as well as former Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) personnel. 

The FETÖ/PDY refers to the followers of Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish Islamic scholar based in the U.S. who has been accused of plotting a coup against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Gülen is also the main suspect in the investigation of mass wiretapping of Dec. 17 and 21, 2013, which targeted more than 7,000 people.