The Office of the Chief Public Prosecutor in Izmir, a province of Turkey in western Anatolia, issued arrest warrants Tuesday for 176 suspects over links to the FETO Organization, the local officials said.

68 former soldiers as well as a pilot lieutenant and 4 district gendarmerie commanders are among the suspects, who allegedly have communicated with members of FETO group by payphone.

Since May 2016, the FETO organization has been classified as a terrorist organization by Turkey under the assigned names Fethullahist Terrorist Organization and Parallel State Structure. After the failed coup attempt in 2016, the government of Turkey blamed the group for the coup and authorities have arrested thousands of soldiers and judges who have links to the organization. (ILKHA)