Turkish prosecutors on Friday issued arrest warrants for 295 active-duty military personnel linked to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup, according to judicial sources.
Under a probe of the group's infiltration of the Turkish army, Istanbul prosecutors issued warrants for the active-duty soldiers, who are accused of communicating with FETÖ members through both pay phones and home lines, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
There are high-ranking figures listed in the warrants, including eight majors and 10 lieutenants, with around half of the suspects being in the army and the remainder in other military forces including the navy and air force.
The prosecutor's office said police launched simultaneous arrest operations at 1:00 a.m. (2200 GMT) under an investigation into pay phone calls between suspected Gulen operatives. It was not clear how many suspects have been detained so far.
According to the Turkish government, FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gülen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people killed and nearly 2,200 injured.
Ankara also accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of the police, military, and the judiciary.
