Turkish authorities detained 43 suspects, including 19 public officials, in a sweeping operation targeting the outlawed Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) network across eight provinces, prosecutors said Tuesday.
The Mersin Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said the operation, coordinated by the provincial police, was centered in the southern province of Mersin and extended to Ankara, Istanbul, Kayseri, Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Muğla and Erzurum.
Among those detained are three officials still in active duty and 16 who had previously been dismissed from public service, according to the statement.
Prosecutors alleged that a suspect identified by the initials H.K. used the encrypted messaging app Signal to communicate with members of the group abroad between 2017 and 2025. The suspect is accused of organizing financial support under the name “Muavenet,” collecting and distributing funds through bank accounts opened in the names of sympathizers.
Authorities said the detainees were taken to police headquarters for questioning. Türkiye designates FETÖ as a terrorist group, blaming it for the 2016 failed coup in which 252 people were killed, and 2,734 were wounded.
Ankara also accuses the terrorist group of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.
Earlier this month, Maj. Murat Kalaç, who was on the wanted list of the Interior Ministry for his involvement in the coup attempt, was also captured, security sources said.
Kalaç was on the run since the coup attempt, instigated by military officers linked to the FETÖ, was quelled. Authorities earlier issued an arrest warrant for the suspect, who was stationed at the Gendarmerie General Command at the time of the coup attempt.
