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Turkey: Arrest warrants out for over 140 ministry staff

Personnel of National Education Ministry, and Ministry of Youth and Sports have been accused of using Bylock mobile app

Ersin Çelik
11:38 - 3/10/2017 Tuesday
Update: 14:40 - 3/10/2017 Tuesday
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File photo
File photo

The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in Ankara issued arrest warrants for 121 National Education Ministry personnel and 21 former Ministry of Youth and Sports staff on Tuesday as part of a probe into the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ).


So far, 82 suspects have been arrested by Tuesday afternoon.

The suspects have been accused of using the ByLock mobile app that was used by Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) members during last year’s deadly defeated coup.

In a statement, the prosecutor's office said the Ankara-based probe was being conducted throughout eight provinces' public institutions and organizations.

A total of 116 out of 121 Ministry of National Education staff had already been dismissed for using the ByLock app, said the statement.

The ByLock smartphone app is believed to have been cracked by Turkish security agencies, allowing them to identify tens of thousands of suspected FETO supporters.

FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gülen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

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

#FETO
#Bylock
#Fetullah Terrorist Organization
#Ministry of National Education
#Ministry of Youth and Sports
7 years ago