FETÖ suspects caught near Turkey’s Greek border

EDİRNE

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At least eight suspects accused of being members of what the authorities call the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) have been rounded up in northwestern Turkey while attempting to illegally cross into neighboring Greece, security sources said on June 25.

Soldiers caught the suspects in a military zone in the Edirne province near the Greek border as they were planning to illegally cross into Greece, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to media restrictions, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

The two suspects stand accused of being members of FETÖ, which is widely believed to have orchestrated the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016. The attempt left 251 people killed and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara also accuses FETÖ, headed by U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, a former government ally, of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of institutions including the military, the police, and the judiciary.