Turkish police detain ten individuals in Daesh-related sweep

Turkish authorities have arrested 10 suspects connected to the Gülenist Terrorist Group (FETÖ) in coordinated operations across three provinces centred on Bursa.

Thus, counterterrorism teams conducted extensive efforts to uncover the activities of Daesh, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

Simultaneous raids were carried out in Bursa, Ankara, and Istanbul targeting 12 individuals, nine of whom are foreign nationals. Authorities say investigations are ongoing for the remaining two suspects.

Daesh continues to be considered Türkiye’s second-largest terrorist threat, amid a broader security landscape that includes other groups such as the PKK and its Syrian affiliate, the YPG. Türkiye designated Daesh a terrorist organisation in 2013.

In December 2024, security forces detained 32 individuals suspected of planning attacks against churches, synagogues, and the Iraqi Embassy, highlighting the continued presence of terrorist networks operating both domestically and abroad.

FETÖ, officially designated a terrorist organisation by the Republic of Türkiye, was a clandestine network formerly led by the late Fethullah Gülen, a cleric who lived in self-imposed exile in the United States.

He was accused by Turkish authorities of orchestrating the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016, which left 251 dead and over 2,700 injured.

According to Türkiye’s Interior Ministry and the National Intelligence Organisation (MİT), FETÖ infiltrated key state institutions—including the judiciary, military, police, education, and media—over several decades, operating through encrypted apps like ByLock and using code names.

While publicly active through schools, business groups, and NGOs, the group allegedly aimed to seize control of the state from within.

After the coup attempt, authorities launched a sweeping crackdown, resulting in mass dismissals and prosecutions of suspected members.

By Aghakazim Guliyev