Authorities announced on Friday that 35 of the 72 detained suspects were arrested in a large-scale operation targeting the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) across 27 provinces as part of an investigation into the group’s covert infiltration.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said the probe focuses on suspects accused of serving as so-called secretive ("mahrem") imams, the handlers who allegedly oversaw FETÖ’s secret police network. Authorities said many of the suspects were identified through confessor statements, the group’s sequential calling tactic designed to avoid detection, and digital evidence, including ByLock and Bank Asya records.
Previously, according to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office’s order, Turkish police detained 72 of the 80 suspects for whom arrest warrants had been issued. Among them were 40 public officials, including active teachers, research assistants and medical personnel, as well as 40 private-sector employees. Eight suspects were found to be abroad.
After completing procedures at the security directorate, 11 individuals were released due to providing what officials described as “useful confessions.” The remaining 61 were referred to the Istanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan.
Prosecutors sought the arrest of 60 suspects and judicial control measures for one. The court ordered 35 arrests, while 26 were placed under judicial control.
The investigation was conducted by the Anti-Smuggling Crimes Division under the coordination of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. Officials say the inquiry is part of ongoing nationwide efforts to dismantle FETÖ’s remaining operational structures, particularly within public institutions.
Authorities added that operations across multiple provinces continue as efforts to locate additional suspects remain underway.
Previous investigations have revealed that the group is no stranger to encrypted communication and even developed an app exclusively for relaying messages of its deceased leader, Fetullah Gülen. Messages exchanged over the app called Bylock were deciphered by Turkish authorities after years of work and led to arrests across Türkiye.
FETÖ is known for its widespread infiltration into state agencies and institutions, from the army to law enforcement. Through its military infiltrators, it carried out a July 15, 2016, coup attempt in which 252 people were killed and 2,734 were wounded. Since the coup attempt was quashed, the terrorist group has faced heightened scrutiny. Thousands were arrested or detained for links to the group and expelled from public agencies after the coup attempt.
In 2024 alone, police apprehended hundreds of FETÖ suspects across the country, including fugitives on western borders trying to flee to Europe.
Praising the teams’ contributions to the counterterrorism operations, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has underlined that Türkiye will continue to fight with strong determination against the terrorist groups Daesh, FETÖ and the PKK, which threaten Türkiye’s unity and solidarity, the integrity of the state and the peace of citizens.
