Governor, Police chiefs detained in anti-FETÖ raids

Some senior local officials, including a provincial governor and five senior police chiefs, have been detained for their links with the Gülenist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), security sources said on Saturday.

İzmir Deputy Public Prosecutor Okan Bato ordered an operation in the framework of an investigation on the illegal handover of an İzmir Police Department building to FETÖ's Interreligious Dialogue Center (İZDİM).

FETÖ, also widely known as the Parallel State Structure (PDY) or Parallel Structure, is an illegal formation inside Turkish state institutes including police department and judiciary. It attempted a civil coup in December 2013 to overthrow the government run by then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The illegal structure inside the state institutes as well as private companies, associations, and educational institutes, run by Fethullah Gülen, a US-based so called cleric.

Following the coup attempt in 2013 Turkish government launched a widespread investigation against the group and found illegal activities that led Turkish national security council to declare the PDY as the most dangerous threat to the state of Turkey.

The Financial Crimes Unit and the Intelligence Unit of the İzmir Police Department launched a joint operation in four Turkish provinces and arrested Governor Ahmet Pek and former Police Chiefs Mustaf Çankal, Hüseyin Başak and Hüseyin Putur from İzmir.

Police also arrested several others for their alleged links with the incident.

In another operation in the Black Sea coastal city of Zonguldak, police arrested at least 14 FETÖ suspects and confiscated several organizational documents while searching their houses and work places.

Meanwhile government appointed trustees to a mining company reportedly run by FETÖ members.

Ertuna Private Education Company and Erdemit Industrialists and Businessmen's Association in Balıkesir province have also been raided by police.

Theses institutions are accused of providing illegal financial support to the FETÖ terrorist organization.