The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has taken significant action by issuing arrest warrants for 63 active-duty military personnel, believed to have connections to the Gülen movement, which is accused by Ankara of orchestrating the failed coup attempt in July 2016. This operation included simultaneous raids across 36 provinces, resulting in the detention of 56 individuals.
Details of the arrests
Among those apprehended are four colonels, alongside officers from the Turkish land, naval, and air forces as well as the gendarmerie. The breakdown of the detainees reveals eight personnel from the air force, 13 from the Gendarmerie General Command, 36 from the land forces, and six from the navy. The ranks of those detained include four colonels, eight lieutenant colonels, 12 majors, 15 captains, and 24 non-commissioned officers.
Claims of a clandestine network
The prosecutor’s office stated that the suspects were identified through telephone communication records, asserting that the Gülen movement poses “the biggest threat to the constitutional order and survival of the state.” Officially designated as the “Fethullahist Terrorist Organisation/Parallel State Structure” (FETÖ/PDY), this group has a controversial history of infiltrating various state institutions including the judiciary, police, and military.
“The arrest and detention of 63 suspects in Istanbul and 35 other cities was launched simultaneously at 6 am today, in accordance with instructions given to the Istanbul Police Anti-Terror Branch Directorate,” the prosecutor’s office reported.
The events of 15 July 2016 saw military units aligned with the coup plotters attempt to seize power, leading to widespread violence, including attacks on government buildings, resulting in approximately 290 fatalities. At the time, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was on holiday in Marmaris, while senior military officials, including the Chief of General Staff, were taken hostage.
Since the coup attempt, around 25,800 military personnel have been detained. The Gülen movement has faced numerous allegations, ranging from leaking university entrance exam questions to the assassination of scholar Necip Hablemitoğlu and involvement in the murder of journalist Hrant Dink.
Originally an ally of President Erdoğan, relations between the Gülen movement and the ruling AK Party soured following a corruption investigation in 2013, which some critics labeled a coup attempt orchestrated by members of the Gülen network. Following the coup attempt in 2016, Turkey entered a state of emergency, leading to extensive purges and dismissals of thousands of individuals from various sectors.
Concerns have been raised regarding the fairness and consistency of justice enforcement. While some high-profile figures associated with the movement have seemingly evaded prosecution, numerous lower-level affiliates have faced imprisonment or job losses. Allegations have emerged about a “FETÖ stock exchange,” where individuals could escape prosecution through bribery, as noted by former AK Party MP Şamil Tayyar, who remarked, “There are millions of dollars involved. They’re releasing businessmen under the guise of being informants. This is happening all over Turkey.”