Turkish Police Arrest 52 People For Alleged Links To Gulen Movement - Reports

Muhammad Irfan Published November 26, 2019 | 03:20 PM

Turkish police on Tuesday arrested 52 people suspected of having links to US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen's movement, referred to as the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) by Ankara, media reported

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th November, 2019) Turkish police on Tuesday arrested 52 people suspected of having links to US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen's movement, referred to as the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) by Ankara, media reported.

The arrests were first made after prosecutors in Istanbul issued warrants for 54 suspects, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency. Twenty-eight people have been detained for using FETO's encrypted messenger, ByLock, the media noted.

Warrants for a further 108 people linked to FETO across Turkey were also issued on Tuesday, resulting in the arrest of 24 people in Ankara, the outlet reported.

The latest arrests follow in the wake of continued operations by the Turkish police against FETO's activities. On Friday, the same news agency reported that 53 people had been detained for alleged ties to Gulen's movement.

FETO is comprised of followers of Gulen, a former political ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who currently resides in the United States. Turkey has demanded Gulen's extradition from the United States for a number of years.

Ankara has accused FETO of masterminding the 2016 coup attempt that left 251 people killed, and nearly 2,200 injured. Following the short-lived rebellion, the Turkish government declared a state of emergency as a necessary measure to counteract terrorists. Since then, over 50,000 citizens have been arrested � including state and military personnel, civil activists, journalists and teachers. Tens of thousands more citizens accused of having ties with FETO have been dismissed or suspended.