In a joint operation by the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and Turkish police, two suspects linked to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) were captured in Algeria, security sources said Wednesday.
The suspects, identified as Mustafa Tan and Mustafa Bircan, were members of the terrorist group’s network in the North African country and were in touch with the group’s leadership in the United States.
The two men had arrest warrants for membership of a terrorist group. Sources said they were involved in organizing FETÖ-linked activities in Algeria and gave financial support to the terrorist group.
The operation came one month after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Algeria where he and President Abdelmadjid Tebboune discussed bilateral ties and the situation in Gaza amid Israeli attacks. Algeria was among the countries approving Türkiye’s extradition requests for fugitive FETÖ members. In 2020, a fugitive member of the terrorist group was apprehended in Algeria and brought to Türkiye.
The terrorist group is known for its global network of schools and associations it founded while it disguised itself as an international nonprofit organization with religious undertones long before the coup attempt. It has long been active across Africa, especially through its nonprofit organizations.
Türkiye often complains of failures in international cooperation against terrorism and the extradition issue stands out among those failures. The country, which fights against threats from multiple terrorist groups, expects the same stance from the international community, particularly its allies.
