Türkiye: 19 detained in FETÖ operation across 13 provinces

Authorities have detained 19 suspects in a coordinated operation targeting the military wing of the Fethullahist Terrorist Organisation (FETÖ) across 13 provinces, with Konya serving as the operation’s centre.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office had previously issued arrest warrants for 20 individuals suspected of holding positions within FETÖ’s clandestine network in the Turkish Armed Forces, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.   

The simultaneous raids took place in Istanbul, Sakarya, Mersin, Ankara, Yalova, Isparta, Izmir, Sivas, Aksaray, Bursa, Kayseri, Denizli, and Afyonkarahisar.

Authorities confirmed that the suspects are currently undergoing police procedures, while efforts continue to locate and apprehend the remaining individual who could not be found at their registered address.

The Fethullahist Terrorist Organisation (FETÖ) was a clandestine network led by cleric Fethullah Gülen, who lived in self-exile in the United States until he died in 2024. Initially allied with Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), it was designated a terrorist organisation in 2016 after ties with the government broke down.

Turkish authorities accuse the group of infiltrating key state institutions over decades and of orchestrating the July 15, 2016 coup attempt, which left more than 250 people dead, allegedly coordinated via encrypted apps such as ByLock. In its aftermath, Türkiye launched a wide-ranging crackdown, detaining tens of thousands and removing over 100,000 public employees from state institutions.

By Aghakazim Guliyev