Burkay Karatepe captured after decade on the run, faces trial for 2016 Erdoğan assassination attempt
Burkay Karatepe, a former special forces officer, was a member of the 37‑person FETÖ team that attempted to assassinate President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at his hotel in Marmaris on 15 July 2016. The attack killed two police officers, Mehmet Çetin and Nedip Cengiz Eker, and the assailants fled into the surrounding forest.
Karatepe evaded capture for about ten years, was listed on a red notice and used false identities, including the alias “Salih Usta”. On 1 August 2026 Turkish police and intelligence, aided by facial‑recognition analysis, located and arrested him in Afyonkarahisar. He was taken to Muğla under heavy security and, on 5 August 2026, transferred to the Muğla 2nd Heavy Penal Court.
During a 69‑page statement he admitted participation in the assassination plot, confirmed the use of the code name “Selim”, described secret meetings with FETÖ leaders, and said he had met Fethullah Gülen in the United States. He also detailed assistance received from relatives, including the arrest of his sister in Eskişehir and his father in Ankara.
Entities: Burkay Karatepe · FETÖ · FETÖ (Fethullah Terrorist Organization) · Fethullah Gülen · Muğla · Recep Tayyip Erdoğan · Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MİT) · Özcan Atlı
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 6 SOURCES] He was transferred under heavy security to the Muğla 2nd Heavy Penal Court on 5 August 2026. (multiple sources)
- [● 7 SOURCES] After the failed attack Karatepe fled and remained a fugitive for about ten years, listed on a red notice. (multiple sources)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Karatepe’s sister was arrested in Eskişehir and his father in Ankara as part of the investigation. (multiple sources)
- [● 5 SOURCES] In a 69‑page confession Karatepe admitted participation, used the code name “Selim”, described secret meetings, and said he met Fethullah Gülen in the United States. (multiple sources)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Karatepe was captured in Afyonkarahisar on 1 August 2026 by Turkish police and intelligence using facial‑recognition technology. (multiple sources)
- [● 8 SOURCES] Burkay Karatepe was a member of the 37‑person FETÖ team that attempted to assassinate President Erdoğan in Marmaris on 15 July 2016. (multiple sources)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Two police officers, Mehmet Çetin and Nedip Cengiz Eker, were killed during the 2016 assassination attempt. (multiple sources)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Karatepe served as an ex‑special forces officer and pilot before the 2016 attack. (multiple sources)