Politics
Turkish authorities reveal how FETÖ assassin was captured
Fake IDs, constant changes of appearance and lying low bought about a decade of freedom for Burkay Karatepe, one of the would-be assassins of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ). This came to an end earlier this week when authorities announced on Friday that Karatepe, the only fugitive member of a team of assassins who escaped capture after the 2016 coup attempt by FETÖ was foiled, was apprehended in Afyonkarahisar, close to his hometown of Emirdağ.
Karatepe, a captain in the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) when the coup attempt unfolded, joined other FETÖ infiltrators in the military in a bid to assassinate Erdoğan during the coup attempt and raided the hotel in southwestern Türkiye’s Marmaris where Erdoğan was vacationing at the time. Erdoğan narrowly escaped the attempt and flew to Istanbul, where he mobilized crowds to stand against the putschists, while two police officers guarding him were gunned down by the assassins. Resistance by anti-putschist security officers forced Karatepe and the others to abandon their plans and flee.
Other members of his team were caught within days while hiding in the countryside, while Karatepe almost vanished into thin air. A fellow would-be assassin claimed that he ditched his military fatigues, donned shorts and slippers, and sought to blend in with tourists in Marmaris. Nothing was heard from Karatepe after that, though authorities questioned his family about his possible whereabouts, and it was suspected that he might have fled to nearby Greek islands, as other members of the terrorist group had done.
Media reports on Sunday said that Karatepe kept a low profile while working as a junk collector and, at times, at construction sites. Indeed, it was a fellow construction worker who reportedly led to his capture. The man questioned by police claimed he did not know Karatepe’s true identity and knew him only as “Salih,” but still agreed to lend his cellphone to him, investigators later found.
Security sources said it was the facial recognition systems of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) that helped authorities pinpoint Karatepe’s location. When the facial recognition system indicated a 77% match with a man captured on camera near a park in central Afyonkarahisar on March 14, security forces launched a surveillance operation. In the following months, the same man was captured on security cameras across the city another 14 times, mostly in different outfits, sometimes with or without a beard, and usually covering his head with caps and berets.
Eventually, MIT and police counterterrorism units launched an operation to capture him in the derelict building where he was hiding. Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi said on Sunday that Karatepe was drunk at the time of his capture and that authorities also discovered a stash of drugs in the building. He was the only resident of the building, which had no electricity or running water. Security forces, however, found a sizeable stash of cash and gold in his possession and are now tracing their origins and investigating who might have funded his escape and years in hiding.
Karatepe had gold nuggets worth more than TL 6 million, and more than $33,000 and 2,620 euros in his possession, along with a laptop, three cellphones and a fake ID.
Karatepe was on the Interior Ministry’s “red list” of most-wanted terror suspects.
He was transferred to the province of Muğla, where Marmaris is located, for legal proceedings. He will likely face aggravated life imprisonment for the assassination attempt alone, along with additional sentences for crimes such as attempting to overthrow the government, forgery of official documents and possession of drugs.
Security sources said Karatepe was also caught on camera while attending a meeting at a hotel in Afyonkarahisar and had started moving from one residence to another in recent months, apparently suspecting that he was under surveillance.
The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is preoccupied with retaining its ranks, while the splinter New Party (YP) is working to broaden its voter base.
The YP managed to attract a majority of CHP lawmakers after its chair, Özgür Özel, was replaced by his predecessor, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, in May. However, the CHP’s mayors are apparently unwilling to switch their allegiance to Özel, who often boasts that he gave the party an unprecedented boost in the 2024 municipal elections.
Several mayors remain undecided, while others were quick to side with Özel. The YP claims that at least 200 mayors are ready to join the party, but that has not been the case in the two weeks since it was founded. So far, the mayors of 157 municipalities have joined the YP, although most represent small district municipalities, with the exceptions of the Denizli Metropolitan Municipality and the Manisa Metropolitan Municipality, the latter in Özel’s hometown. Cemil Tugay, the mayor of the CHP stronghold of İzmir, Türkiye’s third-largest city, quit the party after Kılıçdaroğlu was reinstated but has remained independent since then. Media reports claim that he may join the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). According to a report by the Sabah newspaper on Monday, the CHP will soon convene a meeting of its mayors to emphasize party unity.
Meanwhile, Özgür Özel is seeking to broaden his appeal among potential voters. After a video that the YP said had been “taken by a fan” surfaced online showing Özel performing the Muslim ablution ritual, he was later seen attending an event with members of the Alevi community. He attended a groundbreaking ceremony for a new cemevi, an Alevi house of worship, in the capital, Ankara, on Sunday.
“I am here to receive your blessing as the chair of the YP,” he told a group of Alevi citizens at the ceremony.
“The people who have governed this country owe a debt to the Alevi community. The community has suffered greatly in this country, but its members stood firmly with Atatürk during the War of Independence,” he said, referring to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Türkiye and of the CHP.
Kılıçdaroğlu, who is of Alevi background, highlighted his religious identity during the run-up to the 2023 presidential election, a move that critics viewed as an insincere display of faith intended to bolster his campaign.
The Republican People’s Party (CHP), which lost its status as the main opposition party to its former Chair Özgür Özel’s New Party (YP), is on alert against a possible attempt by Özel to regain influence within the party.
Ahead of the party congress process, which will begin in September, the CHP aims to weed out Özel’s loyalists within its ranks.
Özel sought to reclaim control of the party after a court ruled in May that his predecessor, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, should be reinstated as CHP chair, citing allegations of vote-buying in Özel’s favor during a 2023 intra-party election. As legal proceedings challenging Kılıçdaroğlu’s reinstatement continued, Özel decided to establish the YP last month. By transferring a large number of lawmakers from the CHP, the YP cemented its position in Parliament as the main opposition party. However, the CHP fears that Özel may seek to recruit more members or exercise influence over the party through his loyalists who remain within its ranks.
The Kılıçdaroğlu administration is bracing for the congress by making new appointments and expulsions aimed at weakening Özel’s influence in Türkiye’s oldest political party. To that end, it plans to appoint new chairs to local party branches left vacant after pro-Özel officials were dismissed. The administration also plans to swiftly expel former members of the party assembly who remain loyal to Özel but have so far refrained from leaving the CHP.
Party sources say Özel left behind “Trojan horses” within the party – a group of influential figures who have not yet openly declared where their loyalties lie.
Since returning to office, Kılıçdaroğlu has pledged to “cleanse” the CHP of corruption and has focused on those who opposed his reinstatement and sided with Özel. Influential figures and provincial chairs aligned with Özel have been removed in quick succession, and Kılıçdaroğlu is expected to appoint eight more provincial chairs this week ahead of a meeting with party chairs from all 81 provinces.
The meeting is expected to serve as a demonstration of the CHP’s “unity,” party sources said.
The leader of Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Nechirvan Barzani met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Monday, marking the first such visit by a KRG leader to post-Assad Syria. Sources told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the talks focused on the integration agreement between Damascus and the YPG, the Syrian wing of the PKK terrorist group, which has operated a de facto autonomous enclave in Syria.
Syrian state news agency SANA said al-Sharaa received Barzani at the Presidential Palace in Damascus.
The YPG and the security forces of Syria’s new administration clashed last January after the terrorist group reneged on an agreement to integrate into Syria’s new state institutions. The group later reached a new agreement with Damascus following further advances by Syrian security forces. Amid the clashes, Barzani received Ferhat Abdi Şahin, the leader of the YPG, in the KRG regional capital of Irbil during a U.S.-backed meeting.
Al-Sharaa’s office said he and Barzani discussed “strengthening cooperation and coordination, especially in the economic sphere … in a way that contributes to supporting security and stability.”
The Syrian president and Barzani first met on April 11, 2025, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye. They met again on April 17, 2026, during the fifth edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
A Syrian official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said the two leaders would discuss the January agreement and “procedures for integrating” the YPG into the state. A Syrian diplomatic source, also speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that the one-day visit would mainly focus on “following up on the agreement between the state and the YPG.” Barzani may also meet Şahin, the diplomatic source added.
The January fighting and the subsequent agreement shattered the YPG’s aspirations for autonomy across swathes of northern and northeastern Syria that it had controlled for years during the country’s civil war.
Damascus and the YPG have taken several steps since the agreement, including the deployment of government forces to the cities of Hasakeh and Qamishli and the transfer of the management of Qamishli Airport and key oil fields to the state.
Senior YPG member Sipan Hamo was appointed regional assistant defense minister.
However, differences between the two sides have delayed the integration of several YPG units into the Syrian army.
The agreement also provided for the return of displaced Syrian Kurds to their areas of origin, although some are still waiting to return. Barzani welcomed the agreement at the time and expressed hope that it would pave the way for “the protection of the rights of the Kurds … in the forthcoming constitution.”
The U.S.-Iran war and its repercussions in the wider region were the main topic of a phone call between Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Kuwaiti counterpart Jarrah Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah on Monday.
No further details regarding the phone call were provided, according to the diplomatic sources.
On Saturday, Kuwait said its army destroyed Iranian drones after attacks targeted a government facility, as well as civilian vehicles, on Bubiyan Island, causing material damage but no casualties. Defense Ministry spokesman Saud Al Atwan said the armed forces had detected “hostile drones” in Kuwaiti airspace since early Saturday and “destroyed them.”
He said the “Iranian aggression” targeted several vital installations, including a government facility in northern Kuwait and vehicles belonging to a civilian company on the island. Falling debris caused material damage, but no injuries were reported, Al Atwan added.
Regional tensions have escalated since February, when the U.S. and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran and Tehran responded with missile and drone strikes targeting Gulf countries hosting US military assets.
Pakistani government sources told Anadolu on Monday that “no date or venue” has yet been finalized for the resumption of long-stalled direct talks between the U.S. and Iran aimed at ending their monthslong war.
U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier that new negotiations with Tehran would begin Monday afternoon after he decided to delay strikes on Iran, while Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Monday that Tehran was not engaged in negotiations with Washington.
The divided island of Cyprus is once again under the spotlight following a landmark visit by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The visit signaled renewed momentum toward resolving the decades-old Cyprus issue, but Ankara appears to be remaining vigilant against any potential threats.
Defense Minister Yaşar Güler underlined that the military readiness status of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) is being updated in response to developments on the island of Cyprus. He was responding to a question from an opposition lawmaker regarding NATO’s new security architecture and how Türkiye would respond to growing cooperation among the United States, Israel, Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration in the Eastern Mediterranean.
In his written response, Güler emphasized that Türkiye is closely analyzing developments on the island and in the wider region, including Israel’s activities in areas controlled by the Greek Cypriot administration, as well as their potential implications. He noted that the necessary military and political measures continue to be taken against all possible threats.
“In this context, while taking care to preserve the sensitive balance on the island, our military readiness is being meticulously updated to ensure the security of Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC),” he stated.
Türkiye is a guarantor state for the TRNC, while Greece and the United Kingdom also serve as guarantor powers in efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue. Turkish troops are stationed on the island, which is divided by a U.N. buffer zone, to prevent a repeat of hostilities between Turkish and Greek Cypriots.
In 1974, Türkiye launched the Cyprus Peace Operation to protect Turkish Cypriots from escalating attacks by Greek Cypriot groups and has remained a steadfast supporter of the TRNC, which is not internationally recognized, unlike the Greek Cypriot administration. Following his visit, Guterres announced that the relevant parties were willing to hold new talks on the issue with the participation of the guarantor states, although no concrete plan or breakthrough is expected in the near future.
In addition to its military presence, Türkiye supports the TRNC in protecting its national interests in the Eastern Mediterranean, including safeguarding its maritime boundaries and rights to offshore hydrocarbon resources. For this purpose, it recently launched a monitoring station on the island to help detect violations of maritime boundaries.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday said Ankara would continue supporting Turkish Cypriots and announced new infrastructure projects for the TRNC.
“No initiative that ignores the sovereign equality, rights and legitimate interests of Turkish Cypriots in the Eastern Mediterranean can succeed,” Erdoğan said after chairing a Cabinet meeting.
Recalling events marking the 52nd anniversary of the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation on July 20, Erdoğan described the operation as “a historic turning point” that secured the existence, freedom and security of Turkish Cypriots.
He said Türkiye, acting under its rights and responsibilities as a guarantor power under international agreements, had ended the suffering of Turkish Cypriots and “helped establish peace and stability on the island.”
He said the Cyprus issue extends beyond a technical power-sharing dispute between two communities and centers on the recognition of the Turkish Cypriots’ sovereign equality and equal international status.
“We are closely monitoring every step taken by those seeking to make Cyprus part of new military alignments and geopolitical calculations,” he said.
Erdoğan also welcomed Guterres’ recent visit to the island, the first by a U.N. chief in 16 years, saying Türkiye has consistently supported his peace efforts and will remain in close consultation with him.
He added that proposals seeking to reduce Turkish Cypriots to minority status had repeatedly failed and that only a fair, lasting and sustainable settlement could ensure lasting calm on the island.
Reiterating Ankara’s longstanding support for Turkish Cypriots, Erdoğan said: “Türkiye will never abandon its Turkish Cypriot brothers and sisters and will never allow past suffering to be repeated, whatever the cost.”
He said Türkiye would continue major infrastructure investments on the island.
The president stated that Ankara was strengthening cooperation to help the TRNC become a regional leader in tourism, higher education, technology and digital transformation, while promoting development across all sectors and making the Eastern Mediterranean a center of stability and prosperity.
“As we solved the Turkish Cypriots’ water needs in the past, we will continue implementing various projects, especially a subsea natural gas pipeline,” Erdoğan added.
This week is likely to bring new developments in the terror-free Türkiye initiative, which has been underway for the past two years. The Turkish Parliament is expected to begin discussions on a framework law, the next step in the initiative that involves the disarmament and dissolution of the terrorist group PKK.
The law, tied to the confirmation of the PKK’s full disarmament, has been in the works for some time after a parliamentary committee wrapped up its work on the process last year. It primarily concerns the status of PKK members, including incarcerated ones, although authorities have repeatedly underlined that it does not amount to a full amnesty for the group’s members.
Media outlets reported that the framework law would initiate proceedings for the reassessment of the legal status of imprisoned PKK members, though not all would benefit from early release from prison. Each case involving PKK convicts will be evaluated by the judiciary and the Justice Ministry before a final decision is made regarding their status.
The Sabah newspaper reported on Sunday that authorities were also preparing “return and integration mechanisms” for PKK members abroad, including those in Europe and other continents, as well as those based in northern Iraq, where the PKK’s senior leadership is also located.
Security sources speaking to Sabah said the process will be carried out in a controlled manner and within a framework of specific criteria, adding that work is underway on measures aimed at reintegrating individuals into society.
Officials emphasized that before any legal regulations are implemented, a key prerequisite is verification by security forces that the disarmament process has been concretely completed on the ground. The proposed framework law is also expected to provide the legal basis that will be put into effect after the completion of this process.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, two lawmakers from the PKK-aligned Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), along with a lawyer, paid a visit to jailed PKK ringleader Abdullah Öcalan. This was the second visit by the delegation to Öcalan in a month. Öcalan is incarcerated in an island prison between Istanbul and Bursa, and the DEM Party delegation has been a frequent visitor to the prison, relaying his messages to the public.
Also on Sunday, Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the government-allied Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), who was among the first political figures in recent years to advocate for a “terror-free Türkiye,” called on all political parties to endorse the new framework law. In remarks published by the Türkgün newspaper, Bahçeli said the issue was “a matter above politics.”
“What we need is a social consensus and a vision that is conciliatory rather than confrontational, unifying rather than divisive, and peaceful rather than conflict-driven, along with the determination to carry Türkiye and the Turkish nation into the future together. We are also at a critical juncture in the legislative process. This issue should be regarded as one that rises above politics, and the framework law should receive full support,” Bahçeli was quoted as saying.
Proponents of the initiative portray it as a move to cement unity between Turks and Kurds. For decades, the PKK exploited the latter while claiming to fight for a Kurdish state.
“The policy of a terror-free Türkiye is one of the most important pillars of the ‘Century of Türkiye’ vision,” Bahçeli said, referring to a series of ambitious reforms proposed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the centenary of the Republic of Türkiye that aim to boost the country’s international standing and regional influence.
“This policy represents a commitment to democratization and the determination to carry our thousand-year brotherhood into the next thousand years. A terror-free Türkiye is a historic step taken with the resolve to break the chains of the exploitative order imposed by Western powers, and it is a policy from which there can be no turning back. This is an initiative for which we have put ourselves on the line. We will do everything in our power to make it succeed,” Bahçeli said.
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