After a court had purposed stripping a suspect of citizenship for his links to Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), a less-debated new decree implemented in January has hit headlines.
Under the decree, FETÖ suspects abroad will be stripped of their Turkish citizenship if they do not return to Turkey within three months after a court summons is issued.
The move comes amid Turkey's effort to round up suspects loyal to the terrorist group accused of masterminding last year's coup attempt that left 250 people dead.
Last week, a court in the southern city of Adana applied to the Justice Ministry to strip Fetullah Gülen, the U.S.-based leader of the terrorist group, of his citizenship in a case regarding his terrorist group.
The court said in a letter to the ministry that they were unable to hear the testimony of Gülen and that "the ministry should pursue the necessary action."
Gülen, who faces multiple life sentences for his role in the coup attempt, denies the allegations, although the evidence points to his followers who infiltrated the army as being behind the coup bid.
Turkey is seeking Gülen's extradition from the United States where he has lived since 1999.
The new regulation, which was part of a series of statutory decrees issued during the state of emergency in the aftermath of the putsch bid, requires the government's approval to strip the citizenship of any suspect.
If they fail to respond to the summons within three months after its issuance, an announcement will be made in the Official Gazette, and their citizenship will be terminated.
Though the regulation does not specify FETÖ, it will be more or less exclusive to suspects linked to the terrorist group.
In fact, it clearly says some of the charges eligible for citizenship termination include: Violation of constitutional order, assassination of the president, crimes against the legislative body and armed uprisings against the government - all charges related to the coup attempt.
Thousands of FETÖ members were detained and arrested following the putsch attempt staved off thanks to public resistance.
However, a large number, mostly senior figures of FETÖ, are believed to have fled abroad immediately after the coup attempt or shortly before it happened.
Along with Fetullah Gülen, Adil Öksüz, a theology lecturer who coordinated the coup attempt in his capacity as a senior member of FETÖ, is among the fugitives.
Öksüz is believed to be abroad after he was controversially released by a FETÖ-linked judge in the aftermath of the putsch bid.
Most FETÖ members wanted by Turkey have been sighted in the United States, while two high-profile prosecutors linked to the group are believed to be in Germany.
Zekeriya Öz and Celal Kara, who were behind several sham trials orchestrated by FETÖ designed to imprison its critics, are in Germany's Freiburg, according to Turkish media outlets.