Turkish security forces have detained a suspect accused of serving as a senior operative within the naval network of the Gülenist Terrorist Group (FETÖ), authorities said Tuesday.
Bedrettin Günebakmaz, who was wanted on charges of membership in an armed terrorist organization, was arrested in an operation in Istanbul’s Üsküdar district carried out by counterterrorism police in coordination with the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and intelligence units, according to officials.
The Interior Ministry had listed Günebakmaz in the “yellow category” of its most-wanted terrorism suspects. Authorities allege he held a managerial role in the organization’s covert structure within the Naval Forces Command.
Investigators said technical and physical surveillance indicated that the suspect used the encrypted messaging application ByLock, had links to the now-defunct Bank Asya, and was connected to the group’s overseas network. Statements in the investigation file also identified him as a chemistry teacher who had contacts with military personnel in the northwestern city of Sakarya.
Police said the suspect had taken extensive measures to conceal his identity, including renting property under a false name, registering utilities in the names of others and keeping multiple hats, caps and glasses to avoid recognition by security cameras.
The suspect was taken into custody and transferred to police headquarters for further processing.
The terrorist group orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, in Türkiye, in which 252 people were killed and 2,734 were 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.
Türkiye has targeted its active members and sleeper cells nonstop, and its influence has been much reduced since 2016. However, the group maintains a vast network, including infiltrators suspected to be still operating within Turkish institutions.
FETÖ backers in army ranks and civil institutions have disguised their loyalty, as operations and investigations have indicated since the 2016 coup attempt. FETÖ is also implicated in a string of cases related to its alleged plots to imprison its critics, money laundering, fraud and forgery.
The terrorist group faces operations almost daily as investigators still try to unravel their massive network of infiltrators everywhere.
