Turkish police conduct operations against Daesh and FETO

Turkish prosecutors issued arrest warrants on Wednesday for 135 people, including dozens of soldiers and ex-soldiers, over their suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind last year’s coup.

Prosecutors in the central province of Konya issued warrants for 70 soldiers, including 23 discharged from duty following the 2016 coup attempt, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions of speaking to the media.

The warrants are part of an ongoing investigation into the terror group, and prosecutors issued them on the basis of testimony from previously detained FETO suspects.

The source added that the suspects served in the Turkish land and naval forces.

Meanwhile, prosecutors in the Mediterranean province of Antalya issued arrest warrants for 65 people for their alleged links to FETO, including 35 civil servants, 25 security officers, and four civilians.

FETO and its leader Fetullah Gulen, who has been living in a self-imposed exile in the US since 1999, is responsible for orchestrating July 15, 2016 coup attempt which left 250 people dead and nearly 2,200 injured.

FETO is behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

Daesh operations

Twenty-two foreign nationals who are suspected members of the Daesh terrorist group were arrested on Wednesday, according to Turkish security officials.

The suspects were arrested during nine simultaneous operations launched in Istanbul’s districts of Esenyurt, Basaksehir, Bayrampasa, and Fatih, a security source said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Many organisational documents and digital materials were also seized, the source added.

At least 319 people have lost their lives in Daesh attacks in Turkey, where the group has targeted civilians in suicide bomb, rocket, and gun attacks.