By Filiz Kinik
ISTANBUL (AA) – A probe of irregularities in the March 31 Istanbul mayoral election has found dozens of members of balloting committees linked to FETO, the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey, according to security sources.
Of 43 committee members allegedly linked to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), 41 were found to be customers of Bank Asya, a FETO-linked bank, two were users of ByLock, the terror group’s encrypted messaging app, and two were members of FETO-linked labor unions, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
After a judicial coup attempt against the elected government of Turkey in late 2013, U.S.-based FETO leader Fetullah Gulen instructed his followers to invest in Bank Asya, FETO's financial lifeline.
Later, on July 15, 2016, FETO orchestrated a defeated military coup which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.
Millions of voters cast their votes nationwide in the March 31 local elections to choose Turkey’s mayors, city council members, and other officials for the next five years.
Ekrem Imamoglu of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) last month officially took office as mayor of Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city by population. However, his election still faces legal challenges from the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party.
