Turkish authorities detained two suspects in Istanbul and Muğla on Friday as part of an investigation into the current activities of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), judicial sources said.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered searches and seizures at three addresses in Istanbul and one in the southwestern province of Muğla as investigators sought to uncover the group’s ongoing activities.

Esma Batmaz, daughter of Kemal Batmaz, a senior FETÖ figure detained at Akıncı Air Base following the failed July 15, 2016 coup attempt, was detained in Istanbul.

Hilal Köseoğlu, whose father Bilal Köseoğlu was dismissed by decree while serving as a judge and prosecutor at the Ankara Courthouse, was detained in Muğla. Her father is currently imprisoned in Muğla.

Authorities seized a large amount of digital material during the searches, with examinations continuing.

The operations came as Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said Thursday that investigators examining the 2009 death of politician Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu had uncovered evidence pointing to links with FETÖ.

Yazıcıoğlu, founder and leader of the Great Unity Party, and five others were killed when their helicopter crashed in Kahramanmaraş in March 2009.

Gürlek remarked that investigators had identified connections between the helicopter’s pilot and senior FETÖ figures, including Adil Öksüz and Kemal Batmaz.

The minister noted investigators had found that a meeting involving FETÖ’s covert operatives and the helicopter pilot was held in the eastern province of Elazığ several days before Yazıcıoğlu’s death. He said senior FETÖ figures Öksüz and Batmaz attended the meeting, adding that Öksüz left Türkiye a day before Yazıcıoğlu’s death.

“There are actions with very strong links to FETÖ,” Gürlek stressed, adding that authorities would pursue the case regardless of where the evidence leads.

Separately, Gürlek stated an investigation into an alleged criminal organization led by Alihan Kuriş was continuing after a third wave of operations.

He underlined that investigators were examining allegations including money laundering, fraud and the transfer of funds abroad, as well as the 2016 death of former Transport Minister Arif Ahmet Denizolgun.

Preliminary findings further indicated “serious signs” that Denizolgun’s death may have been suspicious, citing bruising around the neck, allegations of strangulation and claims that medical teams were notified late, the minister noted.

A forensic report on Denizolgun’s death is pending and could determine the next steps in the investigation, he added.

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Kazakh counterpart, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, discussed bilateral ties and regional developments in a phone call, Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said Thursday.

Erdoğan congratulated Tokayev on the Aug. 23 Kurultai elections in Kazakhstan, highlighting the high voter turnout as a sign of public support for the reform process underway in the Central Asian country.

The Turkish president also reaffirmed Ankara’s commitment to further strengthening relations with Kazakhstan, saying Türkiye would continue efforts to deepen bilateral cooperation in the period ahead.

Türkiye and Kazakhstan maintain close political, economic and cultural ties and cooperate across several regional and international platforms.

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As disinformation continues to spread around the world, Türkiye is stepping up efforts to counter false and provocative claims on sensitive national issues, with authorities taking action against social media accounts and publicly challenging claims they say could mislead the public.

Two developments Wednesday highlighted the scope of the effort. Authorities launched a comprehensive investigation into social media accounts accused of targeting the country’s “terror-free Türkiye” process, while the Communications Directorate’s Center for Combating Disinformation, known as DMM, separately rejected claims that forest areas burned in the 2021 wildfires in the Muğla province had been opened for construction.

The first investigation is being coordinated by the Communications Directorate, with the participation of relevant prosecutors’ offices, the General Directorate of Security’s Cybercrime Department and counterterrorism units.

Authorities are examining social media content they say seeks to provoke the national solidarity and social integration process, a sensitive initiative linked to Türkiye’s efforts to end the decadeslong threat posed by the PKK terrorist organization.

The PKK, which Türkiye, the U.S. and the EU classify as a terrorist organization, has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984. The organization announced its dissolution and disarmament earlier this year as part of the process toward a terror-free Türkiye.

The investigation found that some accounts were engaged in terrorist propaganda and shared content praising terrorism, while numerous others sought to influence public opinion through false, misleading and manipulative content, authorities said.

Some users were also found to have shared provocative posts targeting social sensitivities and attempting to fuel hatred and hostility, according to the findings.

The investigation remains ongoing, and legal proceedings will be initiated against accounts and content deemed to contain elements of criminal offenses, authorities said.

DMM challenges wildfire claims

The government’s efforts to counter disinformation extended beyond the terror-free Türkiye process on Wednesday, as the DMM addressed claims concerning land affected by the devastating wildfires that swept across parts of Türkiye in 2021.

The center rejected claims circulated by some media outlets and social media accounts that forest areas burned in 2021 in the Beyciler neighborhood of the southwestern Muğla province’s Milas district had been opened for construction.

The DMM said the claims were “completely untrue,” stressing that the parcels identified in the posts and videos are not classified as forest land.

The properties in question, including plots 15, 16 and 115 in block 101 and plot 1 in block 102 in Beyciler, are privately owned land registered in the names of individuals, according to official cadastral records, the center said.

The DMM also emphasized that afforestation and rehabilitation work had been carried out in forest areas damaged by the 2021 wildfires in Milas and neighboring Marmaris.

Citing data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ Global Forest Resources Assessment, the center said Türkiye ranks third globally and first in Europe among countries carrying out the most afforestation.

The statement warned against attempts to create the perception that “burned forests were handed over to concrete” by presenting privately owned properties as forestland without checking their official land and cadastral status.

The DMM urged the public to disregard disinformation and provocative claims and instead rely on official statements, records and verified sources.

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Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Wednesday cautiously welcomed an announcement that the terrorist PKK/YPG’s self-proclaimed autonomous administration and its affiliated military and civilian structures had been dissolved, saying Türkiye would closely examine whether the declaration is being implemented on the ground.

“Our job is to act professionally and verify its implications on the ground. If it is as stated, then of course this is a welcome development,” Fidan told reporters during a visit to the eastern province of Elazığ on Wednesday.

He said such a move would complement Türkiye’s objectives in Syria and could help strengthen ties between the country’s Kurdish and Arab communities while contributing to an environment in which all Syrians can look to the future with greater confidence.

Fidan stressed that Ankara supports protecting the identity of Syria’s Kurdish population while rejecting any steps that could undermine the country’s national unity, sovereignty or territorial integrity.

“We underline the importance of preserving Kurdish identity and avoiding any denial of that identity, while at the same time ensuring that Syria’s national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity are not compromised,” he said, adding that Türkiye wants to see those principles reflected in practice.

Fidan said Ankara had long viewed the PKK/YPG’s presence in the region as a threat not only to Syria but also to Türkiye.

He nevertheless voiced hope that the emerging process would allow outstanding disputes to be resolved through dialogue and peaceful means.

“Hopefully, in this new process, we will resolve all these problems through mutual understanding and dialogue. We will resolve them peacefully,” he said.

Referring again to the announcement from Damascus, Fidan said its wording was positive but stressed that implementation would ultimately determine its significance.

“The statement made in Damascus is positive in terms of its text, but if it is also implemented in practice as stated, then it is an extremely positive development,” he said.

Fidan also highlighted the link between security and economic development after traveling by road through several provinces and districts in eastern and southeastern Türkiye over the past two days.

He said the region had enormous potential and that development accelerates when terrorism and armed conflict no longer dominate daily life.

Türkiye’s broader vision, he added, prioritizes peace, stability, development and prosperity not only at home but also in Syria, Iraq and the wider region.

During his remarks in Elazığ, Fidan also reflected on the 955th anniversary of the Battle of Manzikert (Malazgirt), which he commemorated in Ahlat alongside President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

He emphasized the centuries-old coexistence of Turks, Kurds, Arabs and other communities in Anatolia, arguing that their shared history remains particularly significant amid growing international competition and geopolitical tensions.

The YPG was established in 2015 with U.S. backing as the Syrian branch of the PKK terrorist group. Washington partnered with the group in its campaign against Daesh despite longstanding objections from NATO ally Türkiye over its ties to the PKK.

The PKK, which has waged a decades-long campaign against Türkiye, is designated a terrorist group by Türkiye, the U.S. and the European Union.

The group became Washington’s principal partner on the ground against Daesh and eventually gained control of large parts of northern and northeastern Syria, including areas containing much of the country’s oil resources.

The Syrian administration and the YPG terror group reached a new agreement Jan. 29 that provided for a cease-fire and the group’s gradual integration into state institutions.

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Turkish prosecutors on Wednesday expanded an investigation into the 2016 death of former Transport Minister Arif Ahmet Denizolgun after a new forensic expert report classified the case as a “suspicious death” and said homicide could not be scientifically ruled out, according to judicial sources.

The Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office is now investigating Alihan Kuriş and other suspects initially on suspicion of homicide, after a forensic expert reviewed video footage and photographs from Denizolgun’s autopsy, the sources said.

Denizolgun’s death had been officially attributed to natural causes linked to a brain hemorrhage following an autopsy in 2016. The new expert report, dated Aug. 25, questioned whether there was sufficient objective medical evidence to reach that conclusion.

The report identified four separate areas of bruising extending from beneath the right breast toward the center of Denizolgun’s chest. Bleeding was also observed in tissue beneath the bruises, which the expert assessed as indicating that the injuries occurred before death.

According to the report, the location and dimensions of the bruises could be consistent with pressure being applied to Denizolgun’s chest while his mouth and nose were covered, potentially causing suffocation.

The expert did not conclude that this was the definitive cause or mechanism of death. Instead, the report said the possibility that Denizolgun was deliberately killed through such a method could not be scientifically and objectively excluded based on the available evidence.

2016 autopsy report

Prosecutors have also opened an investigation into doctors who signed the Oct. 17, 2016, report by the Council of Forensic Medicine’s Morgue Specialization Department that classified Denizolgun’s death as natural and caused by a brain hemorrhage.

The new expert assessment said the original examination contained a forensic medical deficiency and found insufficient objective evidence to establish that the brain hemorrhage developed independently of chemical substances detected in Denizolgun’s body.

Toxicological examinations conducted during the original autopsy detected heavy metals including barium, arsenic, cadmium, mercury and nickel in tissue and decomposition fluids, according to the expert report.

However, the concentrations of the substances were not recorded, preventing experts from determining whether the levels were within expected ranges or whether they could have contributed to Denizolgun’s death or brain hemorrhage.

The investigation has also focused on the handling of the original autopsy video.

Prosecutors requested the recording on Feb. 24, June 1 and July 14 this year but were essentially told that no such footage existed, judicial sources said. Authorities were later informed on Aug. 18 that the recording existed, and it was subsequently provided to investigators.

A Council of Forensic Medicine administrator who had responded that the recording did not exist is now being investigated initially on suspicion of forgery of an official document, the sources said.

Body exhumed for further tests

Denizolgun’s body was exhumed on Aug. 19 as part of the investigation, allowing authorities to obtain new samples for forensic examination.

The expert report called for Denizolgun’s full medical history, material from the Sept. 8, 2016, autopsy and any remaining reference tissue samples to be reassessed alongside samples obtained from the exhumation.

Investigators will also examine phone traffic records, correspondence with the Council of Forensic Medicine and Riva Police Station, communications with the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and records connected to Denizolgun’s estate proceedings.

Prosecutors said the investigation could be further expanded based on witness testimony and additional evidence.

The latest findings mark a significant shift in the decade-old case, replacing the previous assumption of a natural death with a broader inquiry into the circumstances and possible causes of Denizolgun’s death.

Former Minister Denizolgun was also the leader of the “Süleymancılar” group before Alihan Kuriş, who was recently remanded in custody, along with other suspects.

Kuriş described himself to prosecutors as the heir and representative of Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan, an influential 20th-century Islamic scholar, and said he was a community leader. The “Süleymancılar” group originated as a religious movement named after Tunahan, Kuriş’s great-grandfather.

Initially operating through informal religious instruction in homes and mosques, the group later expanded across Türkiye through Quran courses and student dormitories, largely financed by membership contributions and donations. Over time, its activities expanded into commercial sectors including food, health care, tourism, textiles, construction and real estate.

10 arrested in Kuriş probe

The development comes as authorities pursue a separate investigation into what prosecutors describe as the Alihan Kuriş criminal organization.

Ten suspects detained during operations carried out on Aug. 21-22 were arrested after being referred to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, according to judicial sources.

Prosecutors said the wider investigation is examining the group’s alleged activities and financial structure, assets believed to have been obtained through criminal proceeds and individuals and organizations suspected of links to the group.

Authorities said both investigations remain ongoing.

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday said Türkiye has no option but to remain strong and united amid growing regional challenges

Speaking at a ceremony marking the 955th anniversary of the Battle of Manzikert (Malazgirt) at the Malazgirt Battlefield National Historical Park in the eastern province of Muş, Erdoğan said Türkiye would not bow to pressure when its sovereignty and future were at stake.

“When necessary, we can set everything else aside, but when it comes to our homeland and the future of our state and nation, we bow to no one,” Erdoğan said. “In this geography, we have no other choice but to be strong, united and together.”

The annual commemoration marks the 1071 Battle of Manzikert, in which Seljuk forces led by Sultan Alparslan defeated the Byzantine army, paving the way for increased Turkish settlement in Anatolia.

On Friday, Aug. 26, 1071, Alparslan led his troops in prayer before advancing against the Byzantine army commanded by Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes.

The Seljuks secured a decisive victory after employing the “Turan” tactic, a battlefield strategy involving a feigned retreat to draw enemy forces into an encirclement. Romanos IV was captured during the battle.

The victory significantly weakened Byzantine control in the region and accelerated the process of Turkic settlement and expansion into Anatolia.

The Battle of Manzikert, widely regarded in Turkish history as the victory that “opened the gates of Anatolia to the Turks,” had far-reaching political and military consequences and strengthened the Seljuks’ position as a leading power in the Islamic world.

Referring to Israel’s attacks and expansionist policies in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria and conflicts mounting in the region, the Turkish president further noted Türkiye was navigating a period of significant regional transformation.

“Everyone, friend or foe, should know and understand this: History is being rewritten in our region,” Erdoğan underlined. “Türkiye is shaping history with its conscientious, principled and peaceful policies. No one can stop this anymore.”

Israel has attacked Lebanon since March 2, claiming to target Hezbollah. The latest round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has killed 3,412 people in Lebanon and displaced more than 1 million people, according to sources.

Meanwhile, the death toll in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has climbed to 73,417, with another 10 Palestinians killed and 25 others wounded over the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry announced last week.

Numerous victims remain buried under the rubble, with ambulance and civil-defense teams unable to reach them, it said.

Alongside the casualties, most of whom are women and children, Israel has destroyed around 90% of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, with the U.N. estimating total reconstruction costs at some $70 billion.

Erdoğan also warned against what he described as attempts to provoke Türkiye or divert it from its course.

“Those who think they can stop the blessed march of Türkiye and the Turkish nation through provocations and traps are doomed to disappointment,” he said. “We do not take different paths because of someone else’s provocations.”

Israeli airstrikes targeted the Abu al-Duhur Military Air Base in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province on Aug. 18.

Israel has carried out repeated strikes on Syrian ‌military sites since Assad’s fall, claiming its actions were necessary to protect its security. Syria has denied posing a threat ​to Israel and has demanded an ⁠end to Israeli strikes and incursions.

Commitment to Terror-free Türkiye

Erdoğan devoted part of his address to the government’s “Terror-Free Türkiye” initiative, saying Ankara was prepared to take responsibility to secure lasting peace and stability.

“We have put our body under the stone,” Erdoğan stressed, using a Turkish expression meaning taking full responsibility. “Geographically, we do not live in a rose garden without thorns.”

He said Türkiye had committed itself to achieving the goals of a “Terror-Free Türkiye” and a “terror-free region,” repeating that national unity was essential given the security challenges surrounding the country.

The remarks came two days after a newly established Monitoring and Evaluation Board held its first meeting in Ankara as part of the legal framework governing the process.

The meeting, chaired by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz at the presidential complex on Aug. 24, brought together senior officials including Justice Minister Akın Gürlek, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and National Intelligence Organization chief İbrahim Kalın.

The meeting resulted in the establishment of four subcommissions tasked with overseeing different aspects of the process.

They include a Judicial and Legal Affairs Coordination Subcommission, a Monitoring and Verification Subcommission, a Social Cohesion and Integration Subcommission and a Disarmament and Strategic Coordination Subcommission, according to a statement issued after the meeting.

The bodies are expected to work on issues including weapons surrender and mechanisms to verify developments on the ground. Authorities are expected to monitor where, when and under what procedures weapons are handed over.

The judicial subcommission is expected to receive input from Justice Ministry officials as well as judges and prosecutors involved in implementation. It is expected to classify the cases of militants who surrender according to their legal status.

Following the board’s first meeting, officials said administrative mechanisms had been rapidly activated to implement the initiative.

“Our state, with all its institutions acting in full coordination, will continue to resolutely implement these historic steps that will strengthen social integration,” the statement said.

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