Turkish police file $8.7M lawsuit against FETO members

Turkish police filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against prominent the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) members, security officials said Sunday.

The Security General Directorate -- the country's police force -- sought 34 million Turkish liras ($8.7 million) in damages over bombings on police property on the night of the last year's defeated coup attempt.

Led by the U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen, FETO orchestrated the July 15 coup plot -- which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured -- as well as carried out a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and the judiciary.

In the 197-page petition filed to Ankara 15th Criminal Court of First Instance, 661 suspects including Fetullah Gulen, Adil Oksuz, and Kemal Batmaz are accused of being jointly and severally liable for the damage.

Oksuz, a fugitive FETO member, is said to be among the masterminds of the defeated coup. Another key coup plotter Batmaz was arrested at the base on the morning of July 16.

The petition said buildings, data processing centers, license plate recognition systems, surveillance cameras and 186 vehicles were severely damaged in the coup attempt.

It added that the security forces had never suffered from such material damage in the country's history.