Police detains 15 over FETÖ ties

ISTANBUL-Anadolu Agency

Turkish police detained 15 suspects over links to the FETÖ, the group behind the 2016 defeated coup attempt, security sources said on Dec. 12.

The detentions came after prosecutors in the central Konya province issued warrants for 25 suspects including 23 on-duty soldiers for communicating via payphone with senior FETÖ members.

Simultaneous operations were carried out across 12 provinces, including Konya, by anti-terror police teams.

Police are on the lookout for the remaining suspects.

In a separate operation on Dec. 11, the police detained 22 people in Istanbul for their alleged links to the FETÖ.

The detentions were made during raids at 33 addresses as part of the investigation into the terror group.

Police also seized large amounts of money during the raids.

A hunt for seven suspects is underway as part of the investigation.

FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gülen orchestrated the defeated coup attempt of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people killed and nearly 2,200 injured.

Turkey 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.