Arrest warrants out for 117 military staff in Turkey

ANKARA - 29 September 2017: Turkish prosecutors have issued detention warrants for 117 military personnel as part of a probe into the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) who has been accused by Ankara of orchestrating last year’s attempted coup, security sources said on Friday.

Counter terrorism police in the western province of Izmir launched an operation early on Friday to detain the military staff, some of whom served in key units of the armed forces, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported, quoting sources as saying.

The suspects were being sought on specific accusations of being linked to the terrorist group, sources noted.

Turkey said that FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 250 people dead and nearly 2,200 injured.

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