Türkiye launches massive crackdown on FETÖ across 50 provinces Hundreds arrested / VIDEO

Turkish authorities have carried out a large-scale operation against the Fethullahist Terrorist Organisation (FETÖ) across 50 provinces, resulting in hundreds of arrests, officials said.

According to the Ministry of Interior, speaking on social media, 286 suspects were detained over the past month, Caliber.Az reports.

Of these, 154 have been formally arrested, 79 are subject to judicial controls, and investigations into the remainder are ongoing.

50 ilde FETÖ’ye yönelik son 1 aydır Polisimiz tarafından devam eden operasyonlarımızda; 286 şüpheliyi yakaladık❗️

❌ 154'ü TUTUKLANDI.
❌ 79'u hakkında adli kontrol hükümleri uygulandı. Diğerlerinin işlemleri devam ediyor.

Cumhuriyet Başsavcılıklarımız ile EGM TEM Daire… pic.twitter.com/0Db0hwF3B0

— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) October 21, 2025

The suspects are alleged to have been involved in crimes linked to FETÖ’s clandestine financial and military network, including the use of the encrypted communication app ByLock and contact with organisation members via payphones.

The authorities added that those detained also included individuals named in statements and documents obtained during FETÖ investigations, as well as others wanted by the authorities.

The Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) is a transnational Islamist movement founded in Türkiye in the late 1950s by former leader Fethullah Gülen. Originally a religious and educational initiative, it later developed a covert hierarchical structure and infiltrated key state institutions, including the military, judiciary, and law enforcement.

In July 2016, FETÖ orchestrated a failed coup attempt in Türkiye, prompting the government to designate it as a terrorist organisation. Following the coup, over 300,000 public officials were removed and more than 390,000 citizens were detained for suspected affiliation.

The group has also been linked to crimes such as the 2005 Şemdinli bookstore bombing and the 2007 assassination of journalist Hrant Dink.

FETÖ maintains international networks of schools, media, and businesses. While some countries recognise it as a terrorist group, others, including the EU and the US, have not. Its presence in Türkiye has diminished, though it continues to operate abroad.

By Aghakazim Guliyev