Türkiye issues 24 arrest warrants in FETÖ-linked operation

Turkish prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for 24 suspects as part of an investigation into an alleged underground structure linked to the FETÖ organisation.

The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said the operation is being conducted across 11 provinces under the coordination of the National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) and counter-terrorism units, according to Turkish media.

Investigators allege that the suspects used the encrypted messaging application ByLock, which Turkish authorities associate with FETÖ activity.

Detentions are ongoing under the supervision of the Ankara counter-terrorism police department.

The Fethullahist Terrorist Organisation (FETÖ) is described by Turkish authorities as a covert network led by cleric Fethullah Gülen, who lived in self-imposed exile in the United States until his death in 2024. The group was initially aligned with Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) but was officially designated a terrorist organisation in 2016 following a breakdown in relations.

Authorities accuse the organisation of systematically embedding itself within key state institutions over several decades and of orchestrating the July 15, 2016 coup attempt, which resulted in more than 250 deaths and was coordinated through encrypted messaging platforms such as ByLock. In the aftermath, Türkiye launched extensive security operations, detaining tens of thousands of individuals and dismissing over 100,000 public employees from state institutions.

By Jeyhun Aghazada