Detention warrants out for 74 FETÖ-linked suspects

BALIKESIR/KONYA

Turkey's prosecutors have issued detention warrants for 74 people with suspected links to the FETÖ, the group behind the 2016 defeated coup attempt, state media has reported.

Prosecutors in western and central provinces issued detention warrants for 74 suspects on Feb. 4 over links to FETÖ, state-run Anadolu Agency cited anonymous security sources as saying.

In western Balıkesir province, detention warrants were issued for 24 suspects. The suspects were civil servants and police officials on duty.

The suspects are accused of allegedly serving as FETÖ's "covert imams" -- senior members of the terror group -- police and judiciary
organizations.

Police conducted simultaneous operations across 11 provinces.

Separately, prosecutors in the central Konya province issued detention warrants for 50 suspects for their alleged links to the terror group's secret structure within the Turkish Armed Forces.

The Konya-based simultaneous operations were carried out in 22 provinces across Turkey.

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

Ankara 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.