Ankara-Centered Operation Targets FETÖ’s Public Structure
Ankara, March 31 – The Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office has initiated a new operation against the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ)’s public structure. As part of ongoing investigations, arrest warrants have been issued for 12 suspects.
According to a statement from the Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Terrorism Crimes Investigation Bureau conducted studies on operational phone lines used by suspects active within FETÖ’s public structure. In coordination with the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) and the Provincial Police Department’s Counter-Terrorism Branch, 12 suspects were identified.
Evidence of Clandestine Communication and Organizational Activities
These individuals were found to have used ByLock, the organization’s encrypted messaging application, and had sequential call records via payphone and prepaid lines, a known method of organizational communication. Furthermore, some suspects had statements against them detailing their organizational activities.
The investigation revealed evidence of organizational involvement by these 12 suspects, 5 of whom are currently serving in various public institutions. Arrest warrants were issued for all 12 individuals.
Simultaneous Raids Across Four Provinces
In response to the warrants, teams from the Provincial Police Department’s Counter-Terrorism Branch launched simultaneous operations across four provinces, with Ankara at its center, to apprehend the suspects.
This operation underscores the continued efforts by Turkish authorities to dismantle FETÖ’s presence within public institutions, following the attempted coup in 2016. Investigations into the organization’s various clandestine networks remain a priority for security forces.
