Politics
Turkish police nab 239 suspects in nationwide operations against FETÖ
The Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) faces a new barrage of operations as part of ongoing investigations across the country. On Tuesday, authorities captured a total of 239 suspects in separate operations against the group, which is the culprit of the July 15, 2016 coup attempt.
The biggest roundup was in an investigation into FETÖ’s infiltration into the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). Some 158 suspects were captured while a manhunt is underway to capture 16 others in operations based on a joint investigation by the Chief Prosecutor’s Offices in Istanbul and the western city of Izmir. Security forces carried out raids in 41 provinces in the early hours of Tuesday for operations focusing on active-duty and former military officers who secretly communicated with civilian members of the terrorist group. The Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul released a statement about the operations and said that FETÖ still poses the biggest threat to the constitutional order and has yet to be undetected infiltrators in the army.
The statement said one of the most efficient investigation methods to detect FETÖ infiltrators focused on the terrorist group’s favored communications model that involves public payphones. This model involves military infiltrators contacting civilian members of the group who serve as handlers, through payphones, and arranging secret meetings. Prosecutors said the office and counterterrorism police carried out joint efforts to create a database on payphones across Türkiye and managed to conduct operations against FETÖ, both against those involved in the coup attempt and other suspects in the army whose direct ties to the attempt were not uncovered before.
Across Türkiye, a total of 1,918 operations were carried out against those suspects since 2016 and 28,262 people were identified. Some 25,869 among them were detained so far. The statement said 9,055 among them were remanded in custody, while 13,972 suspects were released with judicial control and 2,393 suspects remained at large. It also said 9,533 suspects initially detained were released when they collaborated with authorities and supplied information about FETÖ’s inner workings that ultimately led to more operations and detentions. The Chief Prosecutor’s Office said the rate of collaborators in proportion to the total number of suspects captured stood at 37%.
Those wanted in Tuesday’s operations included colonels, lieutenant-colonels and officers in lower ranks serving in the Land Forces, Air Forces, Gendarmerie Forces and Naval Forces of the army, as well as former cadets of military schools.
In another operation based on an investigation by the Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul, police detained 21 suspects, including 13 active-duty police officers. Suspects were members of a secret network of the terrorist group within law enforcement and included two “law enforcement imams” of FETÖ. “Imam” is a name given to the group’s handlers for infiltrators in the army, law enforcement or judiciary. FETÖ, which disguised itself as a so-called religious movement for years, often resorts to religious terms in its secretive jargon. Other detained suspects included six former police officers who were earlier expelled on suspicion of having links to the terrorist group. Operations were carried out in Istanbul, Ankara, Aydın, Antalya, Balıkesir, Batman, Erzincan, Gaziantep, Izmir, Kahramanmaraş, Mardin, Muğla, Samsun and Sivas.
Elsewhere, authorities launched raids in eight provinces against suspects linked to a restaurant chain that was earlier seized for funding FETÖ. Sixty suspects were detained in the operations that targeted those transferring cash to other FETÖ members, particularly those expelled from the public sector on suspicion of links to the group. Suspects are also accused of secretly hiring people under investigation for FETÖ links through secret partnership programs, in a bid to deliver cash to them.
In a nationwide crackdown in February, authorities detained dozens of suspects in connection with a döner kebab franchise, Maydonoz Döner, used to raise money for FETÖ activity. The initial findings of that investigation showed that the franchise gave illegitimate partnerships to people linked to FETÖ for a certain sum and refused to award shares to people not referred by the terrorist group. The franchise called its scheme “Reference-Based Growth” and based it on organizational trust without any official documentation. Authorities have said earlier that all branches of the chain were used to create jobs for FETÖ-linked people and funnel funds to the group, including “himmet” rates. “Himmet” is the name FETÖ gave to donations to the group or cash obtained through extortion.
In order to avoid tracking, illegal shareholders passed the money through FETÖ-linked shops such as jewelry stores via a consignment method. The franchise firm grew its business abroad with new branches, which eased the transfer of money to FETÖ members outside Türkiye. Authorities have since assigned a trustee to Maydonoz Döner following the operations.
FETÖ has faced increased scrutiny 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 terrorist group faces operations almost daily as investigators still try to unravel their massive network of infiltrators everywhere, but an unknown number of FETÖ members, mostly high-ranking figures, fled Türkiye when the coup attempt was thwarted.
FETÖ still has backers in the army and civil institutions, but as operations and investigations since the coup attempt have indicated, they have managed to disguise their loyalty. FETÖ is also implicated in a string of cases related to its alleged plots to imprison its critics, money laundering, fraud and forgery.
In 2023, Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) found that over 3,000 infiltrators of FETÖ were still active within the Turkish National Police after spending more than six years to decipher an encrypted database seized from a top FETÖ member code-named “Garson” (“Waiter”), who was behind the group’s July 2016 coup.
Speaking at a news conference in Ankara on Tuesday before flying to the Netherlands for a leaders’ summit of NATO, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said they welcomed a cease-fire between Iran and Israel after days of reciprocal attacks. He underlined that diplomacy should be given a chance in the process. “Global actors should take efficient measures to end this craze. Otherwise, the whole world will pay the price for it,” he said.
Erdoğan highlighted that they undertook diplomatic efforts focusing on negotiations between the sides during the process, which began with Israel’s attack on Iran. “I had discussions with many leaders and met foreign ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation member states in Istanbul. We appreciate every effort on the road to a cease-fire. We certainly welcome the cease-fire agreement and call on the sides to fully comply with it. Our region cannot bear the impact of a conflict whose repercussions may be felt across the world. Diplomacy should be given a chance for the resolution of disagreements,” Erdoğan said. The president noted that Türkiye was committed to its stand based on international law.
“Israel’s attacks on Iran fueled a greater threat toward our region. Its reckless steps are unacceptable. We will continue to invite everyone to act with common sense and highlight that diplomacy is a solution to all issues,” he said. Erdoğan also criticized Israel over its actions in Gaza and called on Tel Aviv to stop “weaponizing hunger” in the Palestinian enclave. “A permanent cease-fire is immediately needed in Gaza. Israel’s aggression across our region should stop,” he said. His remarks echoed an earlier statement by the head of a U.N. agency, which accused Israel of engaging in a war crime by “shooting at people trying to get food.”
The controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began handing out food in Gaza on May 26 after Israel completely cut off supplies into the occupied Palestinian territory for more than two months, sparking warnings of mass famine.
The U.N. and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the GHF over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.
“Israel’s militarized humanitarian assistance mechanism is in contradiction with international standards on aid distribution,” said U.N. human rights office spokesperson Thameen al-Kheetan. “The weaponization of food for civilians, in addition to restricting or preventing their access to life-sustaining services, constitutes a war crime.” Meanwhile, Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, slammed GHF as “an abomination that humiliates and degrades desperate people.” “It is a death trap costing more lives than it saves,” he told a press conference in Berlin.
Defense, ties with NATO
Erdoğan also stated that NATO members should unconditionally lift defense trade limitations. “We advocate reinforcing the security of Europe. We are developing our own defense capabilities and at the same time, contributing to the deterrence of the Alliance. So, it is not fair that the allies block the trade of defense products of others while we are working together for a stronger defense and a more efficient army,” he said. “Our country should be included in the defense initiatives of the EU and the Alliance,” he said. The United States imposed sanctions on Türkiye in 2020 after Ankara acquired the S-400 missile defense system from Russia. The move booted Türkiye out of its F-35 program. Türkiye also sought to acquire Eurofighter Typhoons built by a four-nation consortium of Germany, Britain, Spain and Italy, and reportedly faced opposition from Germany, though reports were not confirmed.
Hours before Erdoğan’s press conference, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte praised Türkiye’s defense industrial base and said the country’s defense industry should be more closely connected with the U.K., Norway and the European Union.
“Türkiye has a very big defense industrial base. Sometimes (we) forget what they have. I visited some of their companies, it’s really impressive,” Rutte told the NATO Public Forum in The Hague. “We have to make sure that the Turkish defense industrial base is as closely connected as possible to the U.K., Norway and the European Union,” he added. Rutte warned against creating internal divisions within the alliance based on defense cooperation frameworks, saying: “Let’s not have these fences drawn up within NATO. It won’t help.”
Leaders of NATO’s 32 member states are gathering in The Hague on June 24-25 for the summit dominated by debates over increased defense spending and Ukraine’s membership bid.
In the meantime, the European Union is seeking a new direction in defense after President Donald Trump opted to distance the United States from European security. Having lost its most important ally, Brussels has focused on ensuring the security of the continent on its own, both due to pressure from Washington and the ongoing threats from Moscow. The European Commission announced a new strategy, known as the White Paper, on March 19, which includes increasing military expenditures and production, as well as allocating resources to joint defense projects until 2030. The EU, which seeks to share its topics of discussion and planned steps with NATO’s leading countries in defense, has created a platform for the exchange of ideas under the name of “like-minded countries” for the security of the continent. Türkiye, both a candidate country for the EU and a NATO ally, has also joined the platform, boasting defense industry breakthroughs in recent years.
“We are in close consultation with non-EU allies like ourselves regarding this matter. As NATO, we plan to address supporting measures for the European pillar,” Erdoğan said, ahead of the NATO Summit. He added that Türkiye, having contributed the most to NATO’s counterterrorism framework years ago, will also draw attention to what more the alliance should do in that area.
Istanbul talks
On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Erdoğan said Türkiye was planning new steps for progress in the recent Istanbul talks it hosted between representatives of the two countries. He noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would hold talks with NATO member countries. “We will convey our efforts for diplomacy to end the conflict. We recently had the sides meet in Istanbul and this paved the way for the exchange of prisoners. We have plans for more talks. We did everything for peace between Ukraine and Russia. We earned the trust of both sides and made tangible progress,” he said.
Erdoğan said the conflict cannot continue forever. “We will tell our counterparts at the NATO summit our vision and pledge we will not stop until peace is maintained,” he said.
Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), made his first appearance in months at his party’s parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday in the capital, Ankara.
Bahçeli, who overcame a bout with illness in late January, told an audience of lawmakers and supporters that Israel should be stopped by an international front of resistance amid heightened tensions in the region.
Wearing a patch and a ring bearing the inscription of the famed nationalist motto “May God Protect The Turk,” Bahçeli was hawkish in his criticism of Israel’s attacks targeting Iran and hit out at other politicians and pundits in Türkiye who downplayed Israel’s threat of expansion.
“The danger comes in many sizes; we should wake up,” he said, reiterating his earlier warnings about the spillover of conflicts initiated by Israel in the region.
“From the Middle East to the Balkans, Asia and Africa, scenarios for invasion and violence are always unfolding. The consequence of lethargy in the face of (threats) is falling into captivity,” he said.
“Hostile intentions are always there. Any downplayed alarm or provocation today will have an awful consequence tomorrow. We have to be proactive, ready and resistant to every aggression, every blood plot and turmoil around us,” he warned.
He stated that conflicts adjoin each other and evolve into a chaotic order, naming the developments as worrying. “We have to think about our country. Israel’s attack on Iran is unfair and barbaric. It is clear that the United States joined the line of warring countries by bombing Iran on June 22. We cannot delay focusing on multi-dimensional crises at a time of projections for a new world war, with the spirit of mobilization,” he said.
“You have to be ignorant or a collaborator to claim bombs dropped on Tehran, Baghdad, Damascus or other capitals in the region would not affect Ankara. Israel tried to make people forget about the genocide in Gaza by attacking Iran. It tried to thwart terror-free Türkiye and planned to implement a Zionist-imperialist order in neighboring countries by inciting fear,” he said.
Terror-free Türkiye refers to an initiative launched last year by Bahçeli. Bahçeli has urged the PKK terrorist group to lay down arms and last May, the group announced imminent dissolution after decades of violence targeting Türkiye. Bahçeli views the PKK threat as a major obstacle for a fully independent and prosperous Türkiye, as the group’s existence in neighboring Iraq and Syria forced Türkiye to allocate major resources to counterterrorism and stunted the economic growth, especially in terrorism-plagued southeastern regions. Türkiye repeatedly carried out cross-border operations to wipe out the PKK and managed to reduce its presence, to an extent, in Iraq and Syria.
For Türkiye, the terrorist group is a convenient tool for its foes to destabilize the country. Although most countries designated it as a terrorist group, some allies of Türkiye, particularly the United States, openly supported the PKK’s Syria wing in the guise of a joint fight against Daesh.
“Bombing the countries will hinder peaceful dialogue and blunt the desire for peace and stability. It will fuel proxy wars and start an era of incessant turmoil,” he said.
He warned of a third world war “that may turn the global civilization into a monster eating itself.” “Unfortunately, injustice took root, and moral decay affected every corner of the world. Use of disproportionate force, bullying, biased laws favoring crimes and criminals led to the massacre of human rights. This massacre machine, failure to stop Zionist barbarism, is a monument of shame. This aggression and banditry require us to remain vigilant,” he stated.
Bahçeli branded Israel as a so-called state that lost self-control. “Lack of any sanctions against Israel motivates it to commit more heinous acts. The United Nations are weak, inactive. They are cowards. The United Nations Security Council succumbed to a damning silence and inaction,” he added.
Bahçeli also called upon Muslim countries to stop their attitude of “see no evil, hear no evil” and clearly express their “moral stand” through virtuous acts collectively.
“Ummah and the nation should stand up. If not now, when? How long this order of bandits and oppressors will prevail? This cannot be sustained; we cannot remain silent in the face of bloodshed. The United Nations should use force now and punish the criminal. A joint line of resistance against terrorist state Israel,” he underlined.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday underscored the importance of strengthening NATO’s deterrence as two of the alliance’s leading members, during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague.
Welcoming the recently brokered cease-fire between Israel and Iran, Erdoğan praised Trump’s efforts in facilitating the truce and expressed hope that it would be sustained. He underscored the urgent need to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and reaffirmed Türkiye’s readiness to engage in close dialogue for peaceful solutions to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Both leaders also emphasized the importance of strengthening NATO’s deterrent power and reaffirmed their countries’ commitment as leading allies within the alliance.
The meeting came on the first day of the two-day NATO summit, which is being hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima and brings together more than 45 world leaders and dignitaries to address strategic risks facing the Euro-Atlantic region.
During the meeting, Erdoğan also highlighted the strong potential for cooperation between Türkiye and the United States, particularly in energy and investment. He emphasized that advancing defense industry ties would support the two countries’ shared goal of reaching a $100 billion bilateral trade volume.
Before flying to the Netherlands for a leaders’ summit of NATO, Erdoğan said they welcomed the cease-fire between Iran and Israel after days of reciprocal attacks. He underlined that diplomacy should be given a chance in the process.
Leaders of NATO’s 32 member states are gathering in The Hague on June 24-25 for the summit dominated by debates over increased defense spending and Ukraine’s membership bid.
Muharrem Ince, a former presidential candidate who once challenged President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, returned Tuesday to the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), ending a three-year political split and dissolving his breakaway Homeland Party (MP).
Ince announced his return during a meeting of the CHP’s parliamentary group, where party leader Özgür Özel welcomed him back, describing the move as a critical step toward opposition unity amid increasing political pressure from the ruling government.
“This party is under heavy attack,” Özel said. “I called on my comrade to return to his political home – and he did.”
Ince, 60, was the CHP’s nominee against Erdoğan in the 2018 presidential election, where he gained national prominence despite losing. He broke with the CHP in early 2021 after internal disputes and founded the MP that May, positioning it as an alternative to traditional opposition politics.
Speaking to lawmakers Tuesday, Ince said his return was prompted by Özel’s sincere outreach and the broader need for unity.
“I did not come with pride or regret,” Ince said. “Sometimes we leave out of frustration. Sometimes we search for hope elsewhere. Today, I return with a desire to heal the wounds of separation.”
Earlier in the day, Ince convened the MP’s executive board, which voted unanimously to dissolve the party. An extraordinary convention is expected in July to formalize the closure, party officials said.
Ince’s MP failed to gain significant traction in national elections, drawing just 0.17% of the vote in the 2024 local polls. Despite stepping away from the CHP, Ince occasionally expressed support for the party, particularly in response to legal actions against its members, including Imamoğlu’s March 2024 arrest on corruption charges, which Ince publicly condemned.
Ince’s return is widely seen as part of Özel’s strategy to consolidate the opposition ahead of future elections, as the CHP seeks to build on its historic gains in the 2024 municipal races – the first time in 47 years the party emerged as Türkiye’s leading political force.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan arrived in the Netherlands on Tuesday to attend a two-day NATO summit in The Hague, where leaders will address key strategic threats facing the Euro-Atlantic region.
Erdoğan landed at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport and was greeted by Dutch officials, Türkiye’s Ambassador to NATO Basat Öztürk, and Turkish Ambassador to The Hague Selçuk Ünal. He then traveled to The Hague, where the summit is taking place.
The Turkish president is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump later Tuesday at a royal dinner hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima for heads of state and government and their spouses.
Accompanying Erdoğan are First Lady Emine Erdoğan, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, National Intelligence Organization (MIT) chief İbrahim Kalın, Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, and Erdoğan’s top foreign policy and security adviser Akif Çağatay Kılıç.
The royal dinner took place at the Royal Palace in The Hague, with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima welcoming the leaders and posing for official photos before the event began.
Erdoğan is expected to hold several bilateral meetings with world leaders during the summit, which concludes Wednesday.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday will join fellow NATO leaders at a critical summit in The Hague as the Israel-Iran conflict looms over the meeting.
“Tomorrow I am traveling to The Hague to attend to NATO summit. We have mobilized all means to prevent irreparable pains,” he said Monday at an event in Ankara, referring to Israel’s attacks against Iran, which have killed more than 400 people in the past 11 days.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday dismissed suggestions that the war in the Middle East would deflect attention from the summit of the 32 NATO leaders starting on Tuesday.
He stressed that Tehran should not be allowed to have a nuclear bomb, as Israel and Iran exchanged fresh strikes.
“When it comes to NATO’s stance on Iran’s nuclear program, (the) allies have long agreed that Iran must not develop a nuclear weapon,” said Rutte ahead of a NATO summit in The Hague.
Rutte also noted that Iran was “heavily involved” in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“Iranian drones are killing innocent Ukrainians every day in cities, in communities without any respect for life,” said Rutte.
Over the weekend, President Donald Trump claimed U.S. warplanes had used “bunker buster” bombs that had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Other officials said it was too soon to assess the true impact on Iran’s nuclear program, which Israel and some Western states consider an existential threat.
Iran has warned that the U.S. bombing would “pave the way for the extension of war in the region” and threatened “serious, unpredictable consequences.”
As the world awaited Iran’s response, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the bombing campaign Israel launched on June 13 “a big mistake.”
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