Türkiye coup convict reveals details of 2016 plot to capture Erdoğan PHOTO

A detained member of the FETÖ organisation who was involved in the 2016 coup attempt in Türkiye has provided new details about the preparation of the operation targeting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Burkay Karatepe, who was arrested in the western province of Afyonkarahisar on August 1, told investigators that the group involved in the operation had been instructed to "capture the President and take him to a designated location" before the start of the attempted coup, Anadolu Agency reported.

Karatepe said participants were shown aerial images of Erdoğan’s residence in Marmaris and were waiting for confirmation of the president’s exact location before carrying out their mission.

He also claimed that he only discovered that the other military personnel involved in the operation were members of FETÖ during a meeting held shortly before the coup attempt on July 15, 2016.

According to his testimony, his links with the organisation began while he was still a school student. Karatepe further alleged that, when he applied for officer training, the questions in the entrance examination matched those that had allegedly been provided to him in advance by FETÖ members.

FETÖ has been accused by the Turkish government of orchestrating the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016, when rogue elements within the military killed more than 250 people and sought to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Ankara says supporters of Fethullah Gülen infiltrated state institutions, particularly the armed forces, and coordinated the uprising through encrypted communication platforms, including ByLock.

In the aftermath of the coup attempt, Türkiye carried out a broad crackdown targeting individuals suspected of links to FETÖ across the civil service, judiciary, military and academia. Tens of thousands of people were detained, while more than 100,000 public sector employees were removed from their positions.

By Aghakazim Guliyev