Turkish authorities have detained Yasir Gülen, a nephew of the Gülenist Terrorist Group’s (FETÖ) ringleader Fetullah Gülen, in a joint operation by the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and police in Istanbul, media reported Friday.
Yasir Gülen, the son of Salih Gülen, who is the brother of Fetullah Gülen, was wanted on charges of membership in an armed terrorist organization, according to reports. The operation was carried out by the intelligence agency, along with the Istanbul Police Department’s counterterrorism and intelligence units.
Investigators determined that Gülen had increased accounts at Bank Asya, a now-closed lender that authorities describe as a financial source for the organization, and had taken part in alleged meetings linked to FETÖ. Officials said he had been hiding in Istanbul and frequently changing locations to avoid detection.
After technical and physical surveillance, security forces traced Gülen’s whereabouts to the Ümraniye district on the city’s Asian side. He was detained during a raid on his last known address and taken to the Istanbul Counterterrorism Branch for questioning.
Authorities said the investigation into Gülen is continuing.
FETÖ orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, in which 252 people were killed and 2,734 wounded. Ankara also accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.
An unknown number of FETÖ members, mostly high-ranking figures, fled Türkiye when the coup attempt was thwarted. Many of the group's members had already left the country before the coup attempt after Turkish prosecutors launched investigations into other crimes of the terrorist group.
While the U.S., which housed FETÖ ringleader Fetullah Gülen until his death in October 2024, is the subject of most extradition requests, several EU countries like Sweden and Germany also harbor senior FETÖ members. Türkiye is looking to extradite hundreds of other so-called senior members of FETÖ from the U.S., and 257 from European Union countries, including 77 from Germany.
Since the coup attempt was quashed, the terrorist group has faced heightened scrutiny. Thousands have been arrested or detained for links to the group and expelled from public agencies after the coup attempt.
