Turkish prosecutors on Tuesday issued detention warrants for over 200 suspected soldiers in Istanbul and in western Izmir province for their alleged links to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup.

According to the Chief Public Prosecutor’s office in Istanbul, the arrest warrants were issued for 176 active serving soldiers including colonels, lieutenants, majors and captains in Istanbul, as well as 20 active serving and 15 former soldiers in Izmir.

The suspects are sought as part of a probe into FETÖ’s clandestine network in the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), according to sources who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The suspects in Izmir are accused of communicating with FETÖ’s “covert imams” — senior FETÖ operatives — via pay phones.

The 10 civilian suspects in Izmir are accused of using FETÖ’s encrypted messaging application ByLock.

Police have rounded up eight of the suspects so far in simultaneous operations in 20 provinces across Turkey.

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