Over 1,000 arrested in Turkey over links with Gulenist group

Over 1,000 Fetullah Terrorist Organisation (FETO) suspects were arrested in simultaneous police raids across Turkey, the Interior Minister said on Wednesday.

"At least 1,009 covert 'imams' in 72 provinces have been taken into custody so far," Anadolu agency quoted Suleyman Soylu as saying here. "This is an important step for Turkey."

About 8,500 officials targeted FETO police infiltration in 81 provinces.

The operations were carried out as part of a probe led by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

According to the government, FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup in July 2016, which left 249 people killed and about 2,200 injured.

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

Since the defeated coup, operations have been ongoing in the military, police and judiciary, as well as in state institutions across the country, to arrest suspects with alleged links to FETO.

--IANS

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