At least nine suspects were arrested in counter-terrorism operations across Turkey for their alleged links to FETÖ, the terrorist group behind the 2016 defeated coup attempt in Turkey, police sources said Tuesday.
Turkish forces arrested eight in simultaneous raids early Tuesday in the Aksaray, Denizli, and Kocaeli provinces following a warrant for 13 suspects, said a police source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
A lawyer and a pharmacist were among the suspects, the source said, adding that efforts are ongoing to catch the remaining suspects.
Separately, an on-duty lieutenant in the western Balikesir province was arrested under a warrant over his suspected phone calls with FETÖ terror group members, the governor's office said in a statement.
The statement said that the officer had been contacted "consecutively" by public telephones.
According to the Turkish government, the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup on July 15, 2016, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.
Ankara also accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.
