At least seven convicted Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) members and four human traffickers were arrested in southwestern Türkiye's Izmir Sunday for trying to illegally cross into neighboring Greece.
The suspects were detained from Izmir's Menderes district while trying to cross the Turkish border. They were later sent to a court, which ruled on their arrest and placed them in detention.
The Izmir Provincial Gendarmerie Command teams arrested the suspects following a tip-off.
The authorities detained the 11-member group off the coast of the Gümüldür neighborhood as they were trying to illegally cross into the Greek islands by speedboat at around 7:30 p.m. earlier Friday.
The team consisted of seven convicted FETÖ members, whose files are in the court of appeal.
The four organizers of the illegal crossing were also caught and arrested.
The suspects, who were taken to the Gendarmerie Command, were arrested in the courthouse where they were transferred after the completion of legal procedures.
Turkish authorities have stepped up investigations into the wrongdoings of FETÖ in the aftermath of the July 15, 2016 coup attempt by military infiltrators of the terrorist group, which killed 251 people and injured nearly 2,200 others.
In the aftermath of the failed putsch bid, members of the terrorist group sought to escape prosecution, by fleeing abroad or hiding in the group's safe houses across Türkiye. Still, tens of thousands of people were detained or arrested by the security forces since 2016.
Greece has been the favorite gateway for suspects linked to the group, though most prefer land routes in Türkiye's northwest.
The European country attracted more FETÖ fugitives after it refused to extradite soldiers involved in the 2016 coup attempt to Türkiye after they hijacked a military helicopter and took shelter in Greece.
Over 8,000 FETÖ members have crossed into Greece in the past four years, according to authorities. Ankara has criticized the country for ignoring its calls for international cooperation against the terrorist group.
Türkiye's struggle against FETÖ has netted thousands of members since the coup attempt. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) are at the center of the struggle.
The terrorist group, which had infiltrators in law enforcement, the judiciary and the bureaucracy, still has backers in the army ranks, though they managed to disguise their loyalty, as operations and investigations since the coup attempt indicated.
