Politics
Turkish police detain 20 in FETÖ infiltration raids in 6 provinces
Turkish security forces detained 20 suspects in an Istanbul-based operation across six provinces targeting the police infiltration network of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), authorities said Friday.
The operation was carried out by the Istanbul Police Department’s Anti-Smuggling Crimes Branch under the coordination of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office as part of an investigation into the terrorist group.
Investigators identified 20 suspects whose records appeared in an SD card obtained from a secret witness codenamed “Garson” (“Waiter”) according to authorities. The card contained data from the Police Infiltration Analysis Report (EMAR), which investigators have used in probes into FETÖ’s covert structure within law enforcement.
Authorities said the suspects were found to have links to members of the group’s covert networks, accounts or increased deposits at the now-defunct Bank Asya and records of sequential phone calls, a method associated with FETÖ’s clandestine communication network.
Investigators determined that the suspects allegedly operated at supervisory levels within FETÖ’s covert police network.
Police launched simultaneous raids at 21 addresses across six provinces, with Istanbul as the center of the operation.
All 20 suspects including five active public employees, three dismissed public employees and 12 private-sector workers were detained in the raids.
Codenamed “Garson,” the former member of the group behind the 2016 coup attempt, delivered an encrypted database of the group to authorities in 2017 after he agreed to be a “secret witness” in investigations against the terrorist group. The National Intelligence Organization (MIT) deciphered the database in six years and discovered 3,000 infiltrators of FETÖ within the Turkish National Police.
Statements of “Garson” indicated that FETÖ maintained surveillance on 320,000 members of the police force for 16 years, up until its notorious first attempt to topple the government in December 2013. Encrypted lists of police officers showed each was assigned a code based on their links to FETÖ or his/her opposition to the group’s infiltration.
Speaking about the lists, “Garson” told investigators that they were created by the group’s handlers of infiltrators within law enforcement and they were regularly presented to FETÖ leadership, to give insight about the scope of their infiltration. The lists contained all details about officers in terms of their affiliation with the group and rate them on their “loyalty.”
The terrorist group faced more investigations following the coup attempt that killed 251 people and injured nearly 2,200 others. Tens of thousands of people were detained, arrested or dismissed from public sector jobs following the attempt under a state of emergency.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and its ally gained a majority in Istanbul’s Bahçelievler Municipal Council after three councilors from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) joined the AK Party on Thursday, marking the latest defections from the opposition.
CHP councilors Cem Şafak, Barış Ural and Levent Arısüt formally joined the AK Party during a membership ceremony organized by the party’s Bahçelievler district branch.
The defections reduced the CHP’s representation in the municipal council from 25 to 22 seats, while the People’s Alliance, led by the AK Party, increased its number of seats from 20 to 23, giving the alliance a majority in the council.
Parliament’s Justice Commission Chair and AK Party Istanbul lawmaker Cüneyt Yüksel, AK Party Istanbul provincial chair Abdullah Özdemir and Bahçelievler Mayor Hakan Bahadır attended the ceremony, where the three councilors were presented with AK Party badges.
Yüksel described the defections as part of a broader political shift, saying Türkiye needed greater dialogue and a wider common ground as it entered a new period.
“Our politics is not about exclusion. Our politics is about growth. Our politics is about building Türkiye’s common future,” Yüksel said, welcoming the new members.
AK Party Istanbul provincial chair Abdullah Özdemir also highlighted the ruling party’s record in infrastructure and public services, saying Türkiye had undergone significant development under the party’s leadership over the past 24 years.
Özdemir said Istanbul had added 85.2 kilometers (53 miles) of metro lines since 2019, compared with a total rail network of 44 kilometers (27 miles) in 2004. He also pointed to investments in highways, schools, cultural centers, youth facilities and hospitals.
“We have accomplished a great deal,” Özdemir said. “God willing, we will further expand these services.”
He also cited the physical therapy and rehabilitation hospital opened in Istanbul’s Bahçelievler district last year as an example of the government’s investments.
Turning to the government’s “Terror-Free Türkiye” initiative, Özdemir noted the country had made significant progress in eliminating terrorism-related security threats.
“We have reached a point where not even the slightest terrorist threat remains within our country’s borders,” he said, recalling periods when families feared for relatives serving in areas affected by terrorism.
Özdemir also pointed to developments in neighboring Syria, crediting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with playing a key role in efforts to ensure the country’s unity and territorial integrity.
“This march will continue without slowing down,” he said.
The development came as four mayors from opposition parties separately joined the AK Party on the same day.
President Erdoğan presented party badges to the mayors during a meeting of the party’s Central Decision and Management Board (MKYK).
Foça Mayor Saniye Fıçı, Akkışla Mayor Mustafa Dursun and Felahiye Mayor Şeref Güleser joined the AK Party after resigning from the CHP. Sungu Mayor Burhan Sayılgan, from the central district of eastern Muş province, joined after leaving the New Welfare Party (YRP).
The latest defections come amid changes in the balance of power in several opposition-held municipal councils.
AK Party councilor Dündar Ziya Gültekin was recently elected acting mayor of Istanbul’s Üsküdar district, while AK Party councilor Asuman Şen was elected acting mayor of Menderes in western Izmir province.
The developments have strengthened the AK Party’s position in several local councils following the 2024 local elections, when the CHP made significant gains in municipalities across Türkiye, including Istanbul.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s mood and rhetoric often take on a different tone when he visits his hometown of Rize, a Black Sea city known for its distinct culture and character.
On Friday, Erdoğan appeared particularly upbeat as he was greeted by a large crowd at a rally marking the opening of completed investments and projects in the northeastern province.
Before delivering a lengthy speech highlighting new investments and completed projects across Rize, Erdoğan emphasized national unity, referring to the “ring of fire” he has increasingly used to describe the turbulent geopolitical environment surrounding the country – from the war involving Iran and Israel’s increasingly aggressive actions in the region to instability and the presence of terrorist groups.
“On my agenda is protecting our country from the ring of fire, crises and conflicts surrounding it, and properly fulfilling the responsibility you have entrusted to us,” Erdoğan said.
He also criticized opposition parties, accusing them of seeking confrontation with the government and becoming embroiled in internal disputes.
For Erdoğan, unity has become a key theme as neighboring countries face external and internal crises. His political ally Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), has also repeatedly echoed calls for unity.
“We are responsible not only to 86 million people but also to future generations. That is why we are not concerned with what the opposition says or does,” Erdoğan said.
“We are never a party to their disputes or provocations. One person said this, another did that, old friends have become enemies, and so on. None of this concerns us in the slightest.”
Erdoğan said his focus was on strengthening Türkiye’s position internationally and protecting the country from regional turmoil.
“On my agenda is bringing Türkiye to the place it deserves in global politics and ensuring that it receives the respect it deserves,” he said.
Erdoğan then turned to the main theme of the event, emphasizing his government’s focus on public services and investment.
“On my agenda is only service. It is a politics of works and service. It is bringing new investments to all 81 provinces of our country, together with Rize,” he said.
“You brought us to these positions not to act like bosses, but to serve you. We are simply doing our duty and fulfilling our responsibilities, serving you with love. As long as I have life in me, with God’s permission, we will continue working for you without stopping, without hesitation and without tiring.”
Housing and urban projects
Erdoğan said the government’s priority following the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes had been to make cities more resilient and secure, adding that projects carried out through the state-run Housing Development Administration (TOKI) had been accelerated.
He said 5,636 homes had been completed in Rize so far, while construction on another 1,221 was continuing.
As part of Friday’s openings, 465 homes, four commercial units and a mosque in the Yağlıtaş neighborhood were inaugurated, along with 79 homes in Kendirli, 143 in Madenli and 79 in the Çayeli district.
Erdoğan also inaugurated public gardens covering a total of 330,000 square meters, including the Iyidere Public Garden, which includes a public coffeehouse, district library, children’s playground and social facilities.
A public garden in Çamlıhemşin was also opened, providing residents with spaces to spend time in nature and children with areas to play.
In Güneysu, 27 temporary workplaces whose infrastructure and landscaping had been completed were handed over to beneficiaries. The Isırlık Nature Park and sports activity area, as well as the third phase of a bicycle path, were also put into service.
Culture and education
Erdoğan said culture and the arts were essential to the future of cities and announced the opening of Rize Culture Street.
“Cities that lose their connection with literature, painting and music become nothing more than buildings and gradually lose their soul,” he said.
He said the project would support local producers, expand exhibition spaces and help artisans produce and sell handmade goods, contributing to the local economy.
The government has also completed reinforcement work at 10 schools in central Rize and its districts, Erdoğan said.
The 16-classroom Hafize Haşim Haşimoğlu Anatolian Imam Hatip High School in Çamlıhemşin will open to students in the new academic year, while the 600-bed Ahmet Tevfik İleri student dormitory in central Rize has also been put into service.
Transport and infrastructure
Erdoğan said transportation, maritime and tourism projects were important not only for Rize but for the wider Black Sea region.
He said work had begun on a roughly 30-kilometer Rize Southern Ring Road and Tunnels Project, which is expected to ease traffic congestion and improve urban transportation once completed.
Significant progress has also been made on the İyidere Logistics Port Project, he said. Connecting the port to the Development Road through the Ovit route would strengthen Rize’s strategic position along international trade routes, Erdoğan added.
The government is also strengthening transportation links through the 36.5-kilometer Pazar-Ardeşen junction, the Çamlıhemşin-Ayder road and the Tunca road.
“Once our project is completed, the roads leading to Ayder and the Fırtına Valley will become faster, safer and more comfortable,” Erdoğan said.
He added that the projects aim to extend Rize’s tourism season to 12 months and make the natural attractions of Ayder more accessible.
Erdoğan said Rize had achieved significant progress in health care, with total hospital capacity reaching 1,235 beds.
He said construction of the 1,053-bed Rize City Hospital was 70% complete and that he had instructed the health minister to accelerate the remaining work.
“I have instructed my health minister to ensure that the remaining part is completed rapidly,” Erdoğan said.
The hospital, being built on an area of 320,000 square meters, is expected to provide high-level, uninterrupted health care services.
Construction is continuing on the 50-bed Çayeli State Hospital, which is scheduled to begin accepting patients in November, Erdoğan said.
He said the combined value of the Rize City Hospital and Çayeli State Hospital projects exceeds TL 25 billion ($514.365).
The government will also begin construction of the 25-bed Fındıklı State Hospital in the coming period, while Rize Training and Research Hospital will continue providing health services.
A health facility operating around the clock will also be built in Ardeşen, Erdoğan said.
Nine additional health facilities currently in the tender, project design or land allocation stages will be completed and opened as soon as possible, he added.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Friday that lasting peace across all of Syria and Iraq would pave the way for a new era of stability and economic development across the region, arguing that ending terrorism and political violence could unleash significant investment and growth.
“When there is peace in Syria – and I mean all of Syria – and when there is peace throughout Iraq, all the peoples and states of the region will be able to continue on their path in peace, stability and development. This is what we need,” Fidan said during a visit to southeastern Türkiye’s Diyarbakır.
Speaking at the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) provincial headquarters, Fidan said decades of conflict and terrorism across parts of Türkiye, Iraq and Syria had hindered investment and economic development despite the region’s considerable potential.
He said establishing stability in neighboring Syria and Iraq was an integral part of Türkiye’s broader vision for a region free of terrorism and political violence.
“We believe Diyarbakır and the region will reach the economic position they deserve,” Fidan said, adding that greater stability could draw significant interest from both Turkish and foreign investors.
Fidan highlighted Diyarbakır’s strategic location and longstanding economic and cultural ties with Iraq and Syria, saying regional cooperation combined with domestic reforms could substantially accelerate the province’s development.
He also said political disputes in Türkiye should be resolved through democratic politics and dialogue rather than violence, arguing that the country was moving toward ending a longstanding problem under the “Brotherhood Process.”
Fidan said removing terrorism from the agenda would allow southeastern Türkiye to perform far beyond its current economic potential.
“Once political violence is removed from the agenda and we return to an environment where everything is resolved through civilized dialogue, I believe we will achieve economic and development performance far beyond where we are today,” he said.
He also pointed to major infrastructure and irrigation projects in the region, including the Silvan, Dicle and Kralkızı dams, saying their completion could significantly increase agricultural production and strengthen Türkiye’s food security.
Forty-six years after the Sept. 12, 1980, military coup suspended democracy in Türkiye, the memories of imprisonment, executions and torture remain vivid for survivors, while Ankara’s former Ulucanlar Prison stands as a stark reminder of one of the darkest chapters in the country’s political history.
Built in 1925 as the first prison of the newly founded Republic of Türkiye, Ulucanlar witnessed some of the country’s most turbulent political periods during its 81 years of operation. Politicians, journalists, writers and activists from across the political spectrum were held behind its walls.
The prison was closed in 2006 and transferred to Ankara’s Altındağ Municipality for restoration three years later. It reopened as a museum on June 15, 2011, preserving prison cells, inmates’ personal belongings and accounts of those who were incarcerated or executed there.
The Sept. 12 coup began when Chief of General Staff Gen. Kenan Evren announced the military takeover in a radio address. The National Security Council, composed of Evren and the commanders of the armed forces, assumed control of the country, dissolved Parliament and ushered in a period of sweeping political repression.
Hundreds of people faced death sentences in military courts established after the coup. Left-wing activist Necdet Adalı and nationalist Mustafa Pehlivanoğlu were executed in October 1980.
During the period, about 650,000 people were detained, 230,000 were tried in 210,000 cases and prosecutors sought the death penalty for more than 7,000 people.
For those who survived the prisons of the era, the statistics are accompanied by memories of abuse that have remained vivid for decades.
Muhittin Ilhan, a former provincial head of the nationalist Ülkü Ocakları (Idealists’ Clubs) in Kahramanmaraş, said he was detained in 1978 and subjected to severe abuse before eventually being transferred to Ankara’s Mamak Military Prison.
“If they gave us three meals a day, they beat us at least six times a day,” Ilhan recalled.
He said he weighed 65 kilograms (143 pounds) when he entered Mamak but fell to 41 kilograms within 105 days because of the abuse he endured.
Ilhan said prisoners from opposing political movements were sometimes placed in the same wards under harsh conditions. He was later transferred to Adana, where he said clashes among inmates added another layer of danger to prison life.
Similar accounts have emerged from former prisoners now living in the central province of Kırıkkale.
Izzet Yıldız, 68, said he was detained on Oct. 13 following the coup and taken first to a military facility and then to a detention center in Ankara.
“We experienced torture beyond anything a person could imagine,” Yıldız said, recalling that about 30 people were held in a 16-square-meter room and forced to sleep on concrete.
Yıldız noted detainees were subjected to torture methods including suspension by their arms and electric shocks. He spent 24 months in prison before giving his testimony and was eventually acquitted.
“If my turn to testify had come after 24 days, maybe I would have stayed for 24 days,” he said. “But it came after 24 months, so I spent 24 months in prison.”
Retired teacher Mustafa Hulusi Ulusan, 70, said the memories of Mamak remain difficult to describe even decades later.
“There are some things that are experienced but cannot be explained,” Ulusan said. “Mamak was like that for us.”
Ulusan said detainees were sometimes forced to lie face down outside in cold weather while listening to the screams of prisoners being tortured inside interrogation rooms.
“Listening to their screams was torture in itself,” he added.
He spent 18 months in prison and recalled overcrowded wards where as many as 85 inmates stayed together, sometimes with three people sharing a single bed. During winter, prisoners burned old clothes, boots and shoes because coal supplies were insufficient for heating.
“I was 24 years old,” Ulusan said. “Even today, when I think about it, I get chills.”
Another former prisoner, Irfan Toptaş, 68, said he spent six years at Mamak while being tried in a case involving the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
Toptaş said he was detained on Sept. 22, 1980, and subjected to abuse both in Kırıkkale and Ankara. He recalled dogs being set on detainees and said collective prayers were prohibited. During periods of fasting, prisoners saved morning food for iftar and evening meals for sahur.
Toptaş said he later learned from the indictment that prosecutors were seeking the death penalty against him. He spent much of his final three years behind bars in isolation before eventually being released.
More than four decades later, the former inmates’ accounts and the preserved cells of Ulucanlar serve as reminders of the human cost of the military takeover.
As Türkiye marks the 46th anniversary of the Sept. 12 coup, survivors say the passage of time has done little to erase the memories of a period when democratic rule was suspended, and hundreds of thousands were swept into detention, trials and prisons.
Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi joined his counterparts from the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) for a meeting Thursday in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana. Çiftçi lauded growing cooperation among the countries and expressed hope that the Turkic world would have its own law enforcement body similar to Interpol.
Çiftçi said they had proposed establishing a new institutional mechanism among OTS countries to combat crime, adding that a “Council for Combating Crime” would provide a strong umbrella for cooperation in various areas.
Noting that the first meeting on the council’s founding agreement was held in July, Çiftçi said the mechanism would also enable joint efforts to identify wanted individuals.
He said the proposed structure could eventually evolve into a more comprehensive institution. “We believe that, like EUROPOL and ASEANAPOL, this mechanism could eventually become TURKPOL (the Turkic States Law Enforcement Cooperation Agency),” he said.
Çiftçi said they aim to sign the founding agreement at the next meeting once negotiations are completed.
Originally launched as the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States by Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the group evolved into the OTS at its landmark Istanbul summit in November 2021. The rebranding was widely interpreted as the start of a new era for the Turkic integration process, signaling an ambition to translate cultural bonds into geopolitical clout.
Türkiye will assume the rotating presidency of the OTS at a summit it will host in October.
Çiftçi noted that the world is going through a period marked by growing regional and global conflicts, continued attacks in Gaza and across the region, and serious challenges to international law, emphasizing the importance of security cooperation among OTS countries.
The minister said cooperation between the interior ministries has been further strengthened with each meeting, adding that after the recent meeting in Baku, cooperation had been enhanced in a number of areas, particularly law enforcement training, combating crime and migration management.
Noting that legal texts signed during this process had also strengthened the legal framework for joint efforts, Çiftçi said the “Police Academies Platform of the Turkic States,” established last year, would make significant contributions to academic and professional capacity.
Türkiye continues to strengthen NATO’s readiness and interoperability while expanding military training and security cooperation with allies and partners, the Defense Ministry said Thursday.
Rear Adm. Zeki Aktürk, spokesperson for the Defense Ministry, said the Turkish Armed Forces’ Multinational Joint Warfare Center Command contributes to NATO’s high readiness through advanced training, simulation and command-and-control capabilities.
Speaking at the ministry’s weekly press briefing at the command center, Aktürk said the facility operates in line with NATO standards and is equipped with modern communications and information systems fully integrated into the alliance’s network.
“With its experience and expertise, our command contributes to supporting NATO’s high level of readiness and continues its efforts to enhance interoperability among allies in line with the changing security environment, evolving concepts and growing requirements,” Aktürk said.
The center hosted the NATO Communicators Conference from Sept. 7-10, bringing together 542 communications specialists from 42 countries.
Aktürk said discussions focused on strengthening NATO’s strategic communications capabilities, increasing resilience against disinformation and improving coordination among allies. Participants also addressed changes in the information environment, developments in the cognitive domain and the effective use of artificial intelligence tools.
Türkiye this year marks the 74th anniversary of its accession to NATO and has the second-largest army in the alliance. It is the only country in NATO’s “southern flank” with a sizable military power and a gateway to the Middle East and wider Asia. Security of the Black Sea also largely depends on Türkiye, especially amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which threatens maritime security.
The country currently contributes nearly 3,000 personnel, along with various weapons, vehicles and military platforms, to ongoing NATO missions, operations and initiatives.
Türkiye also hosts critical NATO facilities, including the Allied Land Command, located in the western city of Izmir, and the Rapid Deployable Corps, based in Istanbul and the capital, Ankara, hosts the Center of Excellence for Defense Against Terrorism (COE-DAT).
The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) this year joined NATO’s Steadfast Dart exercise in Germany on Feb. 12-24, held to improve the operational readiness of the Allied Reaction Force. The army contributed naval, land and air elements, including the Anadolu Task Group, and deployed a joint force of more than 2,000 personnel to Germany.
Moreover, the spokesperson said Türkiye’s armed forces were also continuing counterterrorism and border security operations.
Two more members of the PKK terrorist group surrendered over the past week, while Turkish security forces apprehended 790 people attempting to cross the country’s borders illegally and prevented another 887 from crossing, he said.
Since Jan. 1, authorities have apprehended 10,445 people attempting illegal border crossings and prevented 49,394 others, according to the ministry.
Libya cooperation
Aktürk said Türkiye was continuing to contribute to regional and global security through bilateral relations and international missions, particularly within NATO.
He said 362 Libyan military personnel from the country’s eastern and western regions had successfully completed basic commando training conducted by Türkiye’s 40th Commando Training Brigade Command.
Türkiye attaches “great importance” to Libya’s unity, territorial integrity and lasting stability and will continue developing relations with both eastern and western Libya under the goal of “One Libya, One Army,” the ministry noted.
Gaza, Lebanon
Turning to developments in the Middle East, Aktürk accused Israel of systematically continuing attacks on Lebanon and Gaza and forcing civilians to flee their homes.
He said more than 4,300 people had been killed and over 12,300 wounded in Israeli attacks in Lebanon since March 2.
In Palestine, more than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed since the latest cease-fire took effect, while the overall death toll since October 2023 has reached about 75,000, he said.
Citing the World Food Program, Aktürk said two-thirds of Gaza’s population was facing critical or emergency levels of hunger.
“We once again remind the international community that it has a shared responsibility to take concrete and effective measures against Israel’s expansionist and genocidal approach,” he said.
NATO drills continue
Aktürk also said the Turkish Armed Forces were maintaining extensive training and exercise programs to sustain operational readiness.
Türkiye is participating in several multinational exercises in September, including REPMUS unmanned maritime systems exercises in Portugal, Phoenix Express maritime security drills in Tunisia, Triton mine warfare exercises in Bulgaria and NATO’s Bold Machina maritime special operations exercise in Portugal.
Turkish forces are also scheduled to participate in the Endless Brotherhood-V special forces exercise in Uzbekistan and the Burebista and Eastern Shield air and drone defense exercises in Romania.
Aktürk said Türkiye would also deploy two F-16 fighter jets and a tanker aircraft for a Sept. 14 training flight in NATO airspace over Romania.
The flight will be conducted as part of NATO Allied Air Command’s Flexible Deterrence Options under the alliance’s enhanced vigilance activities.
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