Turkey remands in custody 118 soldiers over suspected FETÖ links

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

An Istanbul court on Dec. 18 remanded in custody 118 suspects as part of a probe into the FETÖ’s infiltration of the Turkish army.

The on-duty soldiers were remanded in custody for "being a member of an armed terrorist organization", said judicial sources who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen have been accused of orchestrating the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara 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.

Meanwhile, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on Dec. 18 also provided data on the number of Turkish armed forces personnel dismissed since the 2016 defeated coup attempt.

A total of 15,154 personnel, including 150 generals and admirals and 7,595 officers, have been dismissed from the Turkish Armed Forces over their links to the FETÖ, he said in Turkish parliament.