The arrest warrants were issued after prosecutors determined that the suspects had communicated with the group members via landlines or payphones, and used Bylock, an encrypted messaging app developed and exclusively used by members of the group.

In Turkey, possession of the app is deemed evidence of membership in the FETO organization, which was connected to the failed Turkish coup d'état attempt in July 2016.

According to local media reports, of the 215,000 former ByLock users, an estimated 23,000 have been detained by Turkish authorities. (ILKHA)