Turkey issues 191 arrest warrants for FETO suspects

Turkish prosecutors issued warrants on Tuesday for the detention of 191 suspects — including 181 on-duty servicemen — who are suspected of having links to Fetullah Gulen Terror Organisation.

The warrants were issued over of cheating during air force entrance examinations between 2004-2016 that favoured candidates with links to US-based cult leader Fetullah Gulen. At least 145 of the suspects were detained in raids in western Izmir province and 22 other provinces.

The suspects include 173 sergeants, six lieutenants, two first lieutenants, eight former sergeants and two former cadets.

Turkey has been tracking down suspected members of FETO since the coup attempt.

Tuesday’s warrants were issued amid a renewed drive against FETO after Turkey eased lockdowns to fight the coronavirus outbreak on June 1. 

Dozens of suspected security force members were detained in similar raids across Turkey on Monday.

Prosecutors issued arrest warrants for a total of 33 suspects, including 24 on-duty police force members.

Separately, prosecutors issued arrest warrants for 42 suspects using ByLock – FETO’s encrypted smartphone messaging app – and contacting with terror affiliates through pay phones.

The military says more than 19,500 personnel have been sacked for alleged links to Gulen since the coup attempt.

'Number of terrorists in Turkey drops down to 445'

The number of terrorists in Turkey is falling rapidly and terrorism will soon be wiped out from the country, said the interior minister.

In a tweet, Suleyman Soylu said only 445 PKK/YPG terrorists remain in Turkey after four more were killed by Turkish security forces in the southeastern Sirnak and eastern Elazig provinces on Tuesday.

“Soon, terror will no longer be the fate of this country,” Soylu said.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and EU, has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is PKK's Syrian offshoot.

The YPG is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terrorist organisation. 

In its 30-year terror campaign against the Turkish state more than 40,000 people, including women and children, have been killed.Turkey, the US and the EU recognise the PKK as a terrorist organisation.