Turkish authorities have detained 158 suspects, including high-ranking military officers, in a large-scale counterterrorism operation targeting the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) across 43 provinces, including Istanbul and Izmir.

The arrests are part of an ongoing effort to dismantle FETO’s alleged infiltration of the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) and state institutions.

The operation, coordinated by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, targeted 176 individuals, with efforts continuing to apprehend the remaining suspects. Those detained include active-duty colonels, lieutenant colonels, majors, captains, lieutenants, and non-commissioned officers, identified through a nationwide probe into FETO’s covert communication methods, such as payphones and prepaid lines used in public spaces like kiosks and markets.

The raids were supported by the Ministry of National Defense, the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), and the General Directorate of Security’s Counterterrorism Department. A surveillance database tracking fixed-line phone records has been instrumental, enabling 1,918 operations since its inception. These efforts have identified 28,262 suspects, with 25,869 detained, 9,055 formally arrested, and 13,972 placed under judicial control. Authorities reported a 37% confession rate among detainees, with 9,533 providing statements under Türkiye’s remorse law.

In Izmir, warrants targeted suspects across multiple military branches, including 31 from the Gendarmerie General Command, 29 from the Land Forces, seven from the Naval Forces, and one from the Air Force. The detainees included two lieutenant colonels, one major, five captains, five lieutenants, and 59 non-commissioned officers.

In Istanbul, 176 suspects were targeted, including 86 from the Land Forces, 16 from the Air Force, and six from the Naval Forces. Among them were 11 colonels, 16 lieutenant colonels, 46 majors, 27 captains, five lieutenants, one non-commissioned officer, and two former military school students. Nearly all—174—were active-duty personnel.

In a related operation, 21 individuals linked to FETO’s secret police network were detained across 14 provinces, including Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. The group comprised 13 active police officers, six dismissed personnel, and two alleged “civilian police imams” accused of orchestrating FETO’s police infiltration. Raids also took place in cities such as Antalya, Gaziantep, and Samsun.

Turkish authorities described the operations as a critical response to FETO’s persistent efforts to undermine state institutions. The government has accused FETO of orchestrating the failed 2016 coup attempt, which killed 251 people and injured thousands. Since then, tens of thousands have been detained or dismissed from public roles in a sustained crackdown.

Officials vowed to continue targeting FETO’s clandestine networks, underscoring the group’s designation as a terrorist organization and its threat to national security. (ILKHA)