Turkish prosecutors issued arrest warrants for 102 suspects Friday in separate investigations against the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) infiltrators in the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).
The latest crackdown comes three years after the said infiltrators tried to seize power during the infamous July 15 coup bid that killed 251 people and injured thousands of others.
The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office sought the arrests of six active-duty officers and 44 former cadets, who were dismissed from military schools on the suspicion of links to the terrorist group.
Security forces launched operations in 16 cities to capture the suspects. The number of suspects arrested was not available when Daily Sabah went to print. The suspects, including a colonel, were identified through their contacts with nonmilitary members of FETÖ via payphones. FETÖ is known for using payphones to arrange secret meetings between its point men and military infiltrators.
Since 2017, when this secretive tactic was discovered by investigators, 835 military officers have been arrested. They include both who were actively involved in the coup attempt and those who managed to hide their ties to the group after the bid. Some 222 soldiers identified in investigations remain at large, while 362 others agreed to collaborate with authorities in investigations.
Elsewhere, 30 suspects were detained after prosecutors in southern Turkey's Adana issued arrest warrants for 52 soldiers. Forty-two among the 52 were active-duty soldiers. Operations are underway to capture the other suspects. Like those wanted by prosecutors in Istanbul, the suspects were identified through their contact with FETÖ's point men via payphones.
In the western city of İzmir, police captured a wanted suspect accused of being a senior figure for FETÖ for the "greater Aegean region" where İzmir is located.
Murat Sivrikaya, the owner of a popular fast food chain, was on the run since authorities issued an arrest warrant last year for him. He was also serving as deputy chair of a business association closed for its ties to FETÖ before he fled arrest earlier. Police found a fake ID in his possession.