Again, Turkish Authorities Arrest 532 Suspects In Connection With Failed FETO Coup

Illustration of the arrest of a suspected FETO network member. (Source: Anadolu Agency)

JAKARTA - The operation against the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) infiltration in the Turkish Armed Forces was again carried out by Turkish authorities Monday 26 April.

According to the Turkish news agency Anadolu from a security source, authorities have ordered the arrest of 532 suspects suspected of being linked to FETO.

The arrest operation is said to be part of an investigation initiated by prosecutors in the Turkish capital Istanbul and West Izmir Province.

"The operation was carried out to arrest suspects linked to FETO, including 459 military personnel who were on duty," said the source, as reported by Anadolu, Monday, April 26.

"The suspect was found to be involved in intra-organizational communication via payphones or fixed telephones as well as detection of organizational links through confessions," added the source.

This source explained that the operations based in Istanbul and Izmir were carried out simultaneously in 62 provinces, as well as in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

The arrests are part of a series of arrests and trials that began in the coup attempt on July 21, 2016, when factions within the Turkish military used tanks, fighter jets and helicopters to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Jets bombed the parliament building and several other locations in the Turkish capital. Thousands of people, at President Erdogan's call, took to the streets to press for an end to the coup.

In total, there are 497 defendants who have been on trial since 2017, accused of carrying out a coup and attempting to seize military headquarters in Ankara, occupy the headquarters of the state broadcaster TRT and force a television broadcaster to read a statement on behalf of the group that carried out the coup.

In all, the failed coup claimed the lives of around 251 people and some 2,200 others were injured. Those who died included 35 people who were said to have planned this coup.

To note, Turkey accuses FETO of being behind a long-term campaign to overthrow the country through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, especially the military, police and courts.

Fethullah Gulen himself is a former ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Erdogan who now lives in northeastern Pennsylvania, United States. He denied being behind the coup attempt. However, the Turkish Government designated Gulen's network as a terrorist group.